Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was born around 1815 in the South. As a negro born to a slave woman, he also automatically was a slave. He lived on his master's plantation in Maryland and at times in the city with his master's brother. The brother's wife started to teach young Frederick to read until her husband stopped her. By then he had learned enough to continue on his own, and was able to use his resources to keep reading. But if he was caught, he could be beaten.

Eventually Frederick went back to the plantation - a wise 16-year-old who couldn't adjust to the slave's lot on the plantation. When he rebelled or fought back, he was sent to spend a year with a man who had the reputation of "nigger-breaker". Eventually he was sent back to the city and in September, 1838, he escaped to New York City. He was able to get married and the couple moved up to Massachusetts. Some abolitionists were able to convince him to tell his story. Once he had told it to one group, it became easier. Finally he wrote this autobiography - a bald portrait of the atrocities of slavery in the American South.

This is his story written in his own words. Frederick Douglass was well self-educated and he uses longer words that can be surprising at times. (Although I think this also was part of everyone's education at the time.) The story is vivid without going over into repulsive. The cruelty he saw and experienced is described. It is shocking to someone who has never seen such scenes. Even reading them in fiction can be difficult. It's harder when you/I realize that these things happened.

This should be a cautionary book for mankind's future. But I also think of modern books with similar stories - The Kite Runner comes to mind first although it's fiction. Men can be horrid and cruel to each other for so many reasons. Frederick Douglass shows us just how mean they can be.

As I mentioned in my blog, I picked this book up now because I had just finished The Bondwoman's Narrative. The two together make a compelling, though provoking couple.

As a follow up note, both books mention "cow skin" rather than the term whip we use today. I found this description and picture. It only reinforces the mental images drawn in the books.

This book i s a valuable, although shameful, piece of American history.

Notice:  Graphic violence