Frederick Douglass, an American slave, gives a gripping account of slavery and the life of a slave in his autobiography published in 1845. Douglass writes more than merely an account of his journey to freedom, but a true narrative filled with emotion and all the evils of slavery. Beginning with a letter proclaiming Douglass’ truths and authentic experience as a slave sets the scene for an account that will spare readers no gory details. Douglass immediately informs readers that he does not know his own age, a fact that most slaves are robbed of. Douglass describes his first encounter of abuse and sexual harassment, occurring when he was still very young, as a horrific scene. Aunt Hester was brutally beaten while stripped naked be the master. Douglass admits, “I was so terrified and horror stricken…” (245.) He then recognizes that this will be his fate. Douglass goes through the hands of multiple slave owners, on plantations and in the city. While is Baltimore with the Auld’s he is taught to read by his maters wife, Sofia. He soon finds that her kind heart is mutated by slavery and she quickly learns to refrain from being kind to Douglass. Slyly, Douglass tricks white boys into teaching him how to write; by mimicking their written words in contests he challenges them too. After spending approximately seven years in Baltimore he is sent to St. Michael’s, MD and from there sent to Mr. Covey, a heartless and cruel “slave breaker.” A turning point in his young life occurs when Douglass stands up to Mr. Covey and fights back. This instills a sense of freedom back into the heart of Douglass.
Eventually, Douglass is sent back to Baltimore where he learns a trade and is allowed to find his own employment calking in the city. This is however very difficult as he is required to support himself and give his wages to his master. As Douglass tells readers, “I endured all the evils of a slave, and suffered all the anxiety of a freeman” (311.) This is the final turning point; he sets on his path to freedom and finds his way to New Bedford. No details are given of his escape as a mode of protection. Even once he is a freeman, north of the Mason-Dixon line, Douglass still carries the burden of a slave with him. He realizes that at any given moment he could be found and returned to an evil life. This narrative is full of complex moments and language that make his tale even more powerful. I feel that one of the most influential parts of this book is its oratory characteristics. In many moments I feel as though Douglass is speaking to me, not writing scenes from his life as it appeared in This Boy’s Life. Following the passage on his battle with Mr. Covey, Douglass inserts raw emotion that inspires and reads as though he is speaking directly to his audience. He states inspirational lines such as,
“I felt as I never felt before, it was a glorious resurrection…” and, “My long crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place…the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact” (290).
This is a very powerful moment. I can easily picture Douglass speaking of this moment to abolitionists as well as inspiring slaves with his determination and passion to be free. This method of writing comes across much stronger than simply writing a scene. It adds definition and creates a lifelike tone. This technique was not applied by Wolff, however I feel that his autobiography did not take on the same purpose and therefore could be written using a different style.
Another writing technique I have noticed Douglass employ is the use of “I” versus “He.” He always refers to the oppressive slave masters and he contradicts that with his own views, “I.”In many cases this is seen within the same passage. On page 311 Douglass describes his situation of employment in Baltimore using this method.
“He told me I could go nowhere…”
“He told me if I would be happy, I must lay out no plans for the future.”
“He said if I behaved myself properly…”
“He exhorted me to content myself…”
“I worked and would employ myself…”
“I would pay him…”
“I found it a hard bargain.”
I found this passage to add much complexity to the narrative. It is easy to see that Frederick does not have any control over his own life. Giving direct statements of HE vs. I/me it is easy to see the blurry lines of who Douglass is versus who he wants to be. By using the commands of his master to show that he was living at the expense and control of someone else he receives sympathy from his readers. A key element that a slave narrative should do in attempt to evoke change. A similar technique is used by Wolff. He often gives his description of thoughts on a situation and then counteracts that with the opinion of someone else in his life.
Every time I read this book I always feel a sense of disappointment when I realize that Douglass does not give any insight to how he escaped. I wonder how he got to New Bedford and what troubles he faced on his journey. However it makes perfect sense that he did not share any of this information with his readers. I often wonder if he wrote any of it down or assisted other slaves in their attempt to escape. I also wonder why Douglass ended the narrative at the point he did, or why he did not include more detail on his first days in the north. While the main point of his narrative has been shared I feel that when he ends the book he does not consider himself a freeman yet.
