In Frederick Douglasss Narrative of the Life of...

In Frederick Douglasss Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he appeals to the interest of the reader through his first hand accounts of slavery, his use of irony in these descriptions, and his balance between indirectness and honesty. Douglasss descriptions of the harshness of slave life are filled with horrific details able to reach even the coldest hearts. The beginning of the book describes how Douglass lacks even the simplest knowledge of his own age. He goes on in the book to describe how he has no accurate knowledge of his age, because he has never seen any of the authentic records containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves, know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is probably the†¦show more content†¦He mentions the tangible blood and shrieks to emphasize the pain and torture of a human being. This slave bleeds like any other person and so it is easier for us to become concerned while reading the quote. Douglasss brutal description of slave life reaches a climax when he comes under the care of the slave-breaker Mr. Covey. One day when Douglass has reached beyond the point of true exhaustion and collapses sick, Mr. Covey discovers him. After kicking Douglass several times, Covey got a Hickory slot and gave Douglass a huge hit to the head, giving him a large wound where the blood ran freely. This description appears just a few pages before the actual climax of the book, where Douglass stands up to Mr. Covey. Douglass also shows that people who claimed to be moral Christians were torturers of humans. He succeeds in painting a picture of the typical slave owner and his hypocritical beliefs toward God and people. He associates a selfish greed hidden behind devoutness of the everyday Christian. In addition to this Douglass also makes sarcastic descriptions of people and places, describing how un-Christian they were by calling them Christian. Douglass also presents himself as a man not looking for pity. For the most part, Douglass presents the basic facts. There are many instances in which the description becomesShow MoreRelatedSocial Classes Effecting Cruelty Douglass’s â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†2327 Words   |  10 PagesSOCIAL CLASSES EFFECTING CRUELTY DOUGLASS’S NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS A. Introduction To know about social classes in a prose (Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass), it is a duty knowing about what sociological criticism is firstly. Sociological Criticism is one of the family literary criticisms that directed to analyze literary work in a larger social context. 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He educatedRead MoreFrederick Douglass And Slavery.1438 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 MoreNarrative Of Life Of Frederick Douglass1271 Words   |  6 Pagesof many famous quotes by Frederick Douglass that illustrates that no dream or hope can be achieved without any action. In his autobiography Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass, he outlines his life as a slave and his journey towards freedom through his desire for education. In Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, the story expresses repression that slaves experienced through Douglass’s related experiences as a slave. The obstacles that Douglass conquers to achieve his educationRead MoreFreedom And Liberty By Frederick Douglass948 Words   |  4 Pagesinto society. Frederick Douglass, an American slave during the 1800s, is one of the first slaves to seek his freedom during this time and goes on to explain how within his novel The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. The idea of freedom, in Douglass’s eyes, changes drastically throughout his story as a slave. He first makes the connection of inequality as a young boy which sets into action a course of events for Douglass to discover what freedom truly is. Throughout Douglass’s slave life, freedom isRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesAnnotated Bibliography Boxill, Bernard. Frederick Douglass’s Patriotism. 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In 1826, at the age of seven or eight, DouglassRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave1170 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluential abolitionist speakers, Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, this great American leader led a life many of us would find impossible to bear. After gaining his freedom from slavery, Douglass shared his stories through impressive speeches and vivid autobiographies, which helped America move forward as a country liberated from racial inequality. Although Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave allows readers to understand what life was like for slaves in antebellum