Approach towards slavery in Narrative of the life of

Frederick Douglass

Being an anti-slavery personality and writing narratives concerning the abolition of this
type of human cruelty can definitely make an impact on the readers, but adding to this context
the personal experience of the writer can enhance the wanted effect. That is exactly why
Frederick Douglass wrote his autobiography, describing his life and what he had to endure
during his years as a slave. The sacrifices he made, forced by the circumstances, the physical
pain and suffering, starvation and lack of primary needs, all these contributed to strengthen his
character and will to fight against these abnormalities in human society. The aim of this essay is
to underline the main themes concerning slavery treated in this narrative and to analyze the
hidden messages between the lines of Frederick Douglasss autobiography, with respect to the
authors point of view.
First of all, there is a need to underline the fact that the reason for writing this narrative
was never pity: in his book, his style of writing is not too personal, even though some scenes can
be extremely shocking. His aim writing this autobiography was to inform people the real
cruelties behind appearances, because slavery was never a topic too discussed. Experiencing
himself these atrocities, he only aimed to reveal the truth, in order for the black people to be
released from slavery. He wanted equal rights between all people, no matter the race; he believed
in equality and fought for this cause to stop people from living traumatizing lives.
In terms of writing, Frederick Douglass is both a narrator and the protagonist of his
autobiography; given all of these roles, the writing may be thought of as subjective. However,
Douglasss style is so reasoned and realistic, that it is hard to classify his autobiography anything
other than objective, taking into consideration his inspiration from real life and his approach
towards slavery as well. His most interesting opinion is that, as a former slave, he does not
condemn slave owners as much as readers would expect him to. He points to the fact that slavery
is dehumanizing and must be abolished, but he never blames the owners entirely. At that time,

society considered slavery to be a normal organization, as they thought that the black people
were incapable of thinking or acting as a normal person, they were only useful for hard, physical
work. Had they known what slavery actually implies, Douglass hoped that society would have
reconsidered and have stopped seeing black people only as animals, as they have the same rights
as their masters and deserve to occupy the same level in society.
Underlying this idea is the theme of religion and precisely the theme of Christianity,
which was seen at that times as a false Christianity, as the author himself claims in the Appendix
of his narrative.
Douglasss contributions to human freedom and dignity have made him a
shining prince in the history of America. Douglass prepared himself to
challenge the idea that slavery was designed and orchestrated by God;
defying slavery was his moral obligation. (Davis, 1)

Further evidence of the objectiveness of the narrator is the fact that he tries to understand
both slaves and owners. In his years of slavery when he analyzed every aspect of his life, he
reached to the conclusion that the bad masters are actually a step towards liberation and
freedom, whereas a good mater is worse for improving your condition as a slave. He gives
further examples and justifies his opinion by saying that to make a contented slave, it is
necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and,
as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no
inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to
that only when he ceases to be a man. (Douglass, 58 ) Dehumanizing these people, in
Douglasss eyes, has the effect of making a contented slave, as he mentions in his book. If he
does not know the possibility of living a different and a better life, away from suffering and
illness, the slave will never have anything to question, to want more, to change in his life. He
will live his life thinking there is a certain degree of fairness in what is happening to him.
On the other hand, as a slave, being treated with such cruelty and if the master does not
provide enough food or clothes or makes them face unnecessary struggles, they will start to feel
the injustice and will eventually riot against the regime, as they learn there is better treatment and
the possibility of being free people. However, knowledge does not necessarily bring liberty and

freedom. Often it only brings suffering , as Mister Auld, one of Douglasss master affirms, as
they do not have enough power to stand up for themselves in front of their superiors, so the only
solution is trying to escape, no matter the consequences and dangers implied.
Another important point that Frederick Douglass feels the need to add is that slavery is
damaging and a negative social structure for both sides. The slaves are the ones who go through
a greater pain, but there are also some instances in his narrative which point out the fact that
slave owners are as dehumanized and morally damaged as the defenseless ones. The best
example in this concern in Sophia Auld, who turns herself from a kind and caring person into a
heartless and cruel ruler, showing the fact that having power towards other people can change
your way of acting or thinking. There are other illustrations of this perverted human spirit when
in touch with such a great power like slave owning: men-owners raping and beating female
slaves and not providing anything for the child resulted from their adultery, sexual, physical and
mental harassment, all these made just because white people were masters and they were allowed
to do such things. Others, such as Thomas Auld, developed a religious thinking in order to hide
behind them their own sins. There was a certain degree of comparison with a God or with a
supernatural force; they could do anything they wanted with these slaves, they decided when
they should live, where, how or how long. The owners were like God, they had the right and the
power to decide these peoples destiny, fact which led the white people towards creating even
more hardships and suffering, because the more power you have, the greedier you become.
As mentioned before, an important theme in the narrative is the approach of Christianity
based in characters opinion, precisely with respect to Thomas Auld. The interesting thing about
this theme is that it deals with the institution of the church as well and, as Douglass states,
churches and, to an extended level, Christianity, are corrupt just because they raise their funds
from slavery and supporting this terrifying aspect of life.
Not only did Christianity fail to offer the Negro hope of freedom
in this world, but the manner in which Christianity was
communicated to him tended to degrade him. The Negro was taught
that his enslavement was due to the fact that he had been cursed by
God. His very color was the sign of the curse which he had received
as a descendant of Ham. ( Frazier,115)

As Franklin Frazier states in his book, references to the Bible made this ideas created
by Christian religion more reliable. As these theories were directly connected to God, their
property of being true could not be therefore contested.
In the appendix of his narrative, Douglass distinguishes between two types of
Christianity, namely a bad one, used by slave owners in his time, and a good type of Christian
religion, which is the real one, in which every person should believe in, be them slaves or
owners.
Douglass described slaveholding piety as bad, corrupt, and
wicked, and true Christianity as good, pure and holy. In an
appendix to his narrative he sought to dispel the impression that
his stinging attack on slaveholding Christianity was directed at
true Christianity. (Sernet, 102)

Furthermore, dehumanizing these people and treating them like animals bring about
another shocking lack that slaves have to live without: the notion of the family. As Frederick
Douglass points out in his narrative, he was never close to his mother and he did not know who
his father was. In this respect, being a slave meant having no belonging to a family. They were
on their own, because they had no right to feel protection or love from the warmth of a family.
My home was charmless; it was not home to me; on parting
from it, I could not feel that I was leaving any thing which I could
have enjoyed by staying. My mother was dead, my grandmother
lived far off, so that I seldom saw her. I had two sisters and one
brother, that lived in the same house with me; but the early
separation of us from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact
of our relationship from our memories. I looked for home
elsewhere, and was confident of finding none which I should
relish less than the one which I was leaving. (Douglass,146 )

Summing up, slavery brought about all these negative consequences, dehumanization,
deprivation, starvation and lack of a family bond, things which no one should ever experience, as
humanity strives to reach perfection in equality. However, slavery represented that negative step

needed in order for the American culture and society to evolve towards a higher living. As John
Morley mentioned, evolution is not a force, but a process, not a cause, but a law.

Work Cited List

1. Davis, Reginald F., Frederick Douglass: a precursor of liberation

theology, Mercer University Press, 2005
2. Douglass, Frederick, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: an
American Slave,
3. Frazier, E. Franklin, Black Bourgeoisie, New York: Collier Books,
1965.
4. Sernet,

Milton

C.,

African American

Religious

History: A

Documentary Witness, Duke University Press, 1999

5. Quote from John Morley, http://thinkexist.com/quotes/john_morley/ ,
date: 11th of January 2015