Slavery in Literature Essay - 1504 Words

Slavery in Literature Frederick Douglass was born into the lifelong, evil, bondage of slavery. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, depicts his accomplishments. The narrative, however, is not only the story of his success. It is not simply a tale of his miraculous escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass narrative is, in fact, an account of his tremendous strides through literacy. He exemplifies a literate man who is able to use the psychological tools of thought to escape the intense bonds of slavery. Hard labor, and deprivation of both physical and spiritual necessities, defined slavery in the south. Frederick Douglass struggled throughout his youth to keep†¦show more content†¦He did not allow the slaveholders to capture his opinions and judgement. He did not allow the slaveholders to destroy his dignity. Douglass successfully climbed the ladder from a position of a powerless slave to a strong, devoted, influential, individual. He did so when he began to divert from the path of ignorance to one of education and power. How did Douglass escape the blinding state of ignorance? How did Douglass manage to escape misery and attain happiness? How did Douglass manage the escape of bondage and slavery? This transition involved a series of processed, the first being the destruction of ignorance. In the eyes of the slaveholders, a happy slave was an ignorant one. For this reason, they were denied any form of knowledge. The masters were fearful of discovering that a slave had run away or were plotting an escape. They were afraid of a slave acquiring a vision beyond the unjust conditions they lived by. In Frederick Douglass, Narrative, he mentions how the first steps toward overcoming ignorance can lead to discontentment and realization of the harsh increments they live by as slaves. #8230;Whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom. I have found, that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one (Douglass, 64). Frederick Douglass, however, possessed the power to look toward aShow MoreRelatedSlavery in American Literature1590 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery in the United States was a form of unfree labor which existed as a legal ins titution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. 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David Walker, inRead MoreEssay Frederick Douglass and Slavery1448 Words   |  6 PagesFrederick Douglass and Slavery Frederick Douglass the most successful abolitionist who changed America’s views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick Douglass had many achievements throughout his life. His Life as a slave had a great impact on his writings. His great oratory skills left the largest impact on Civil War time period literature. All in all he was the best black speaker and writer ever. Douglass was born a slave in 1817, in Maryland. He educatedRead MoreSlavery During The Twentieth Century993 Words   |  4 PagesJeremy Black has recently stated ‘slavery played a major role in the twentieth century.’ The twentieth century, he argues, witnessed a highpoint in slavery as it rose to a new peak. He defines slavery as being ‘public’ which differs from the ‘conventional account of enslavement, economic exploitation and racism.’ For Black, the conventional account of slavery has been ‘easier to define and confront.’ This dissertation through the work of three authors: Buchi Emecheta, Ayi Kwei Armah and Tayeb