Slavery In Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

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Recommended: Effects of slavery on slaves

Slavery: A Lifelong Escape

To say that slavery only affects slaves is inaccurate; it dehumanizes the slaveholders too. Some of the slaveholders in the book were sympathetic, innocent human beings. They were not automatically corrupt just because they owned a slave. Rather, slavery changed their actions and characters from mercy into viciousness. In Douglass’ own book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, he emphasizes how many dignified human beings turn into barbaric slaveholders. Douglass, through his first hand experiences as a slave, reveals how the presence of slavery turns slaveholders into imposters.
Slavery’s wicked nature turns slaveholders into monsters. Mrs. Auld, one of Douglass’ masters, had been ignorant of slavery before, but it did not take long for slavery to degrade her character, “Her face was made of heavenly smiles, and her voice of tranquil music… This kind of heart had but a short time to remain such…That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon” (Douglass 77-78). Before, Mrs. Auld treats Douglass like a human being with dignity. She teaches him how to read and teaches him the alphabet. However, her kind actions toward Douglass end after her husband scolds her for teaching Douglass the ABCs. He tells her that it is unlawful and unsafe to teach a slave because once a slave gains power, he becomes unmanageable and one step closer to freedom. As a result, she loses her previous view of slaves as human beings and turns into a beast—full of rage, menace, capriciousness, and impatience. Joyce Nower agrees with this idea ...

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...eep down in the bottom of his heart that slavery is wrong (since he keeps justifying his reasons for holding slaves), but he uses his religion in order to hide this reality. Eventually, these lies and self-deceptions just keep building upon one another and ultimately turn him into a hypocrite.
Thomas Auld believes that his religion is a “God-given” right to treat slaves crueler. Douglass recalls how he uses religion in order to justify his treatment of a helpless female slave, “I have said my master found religious sanction for his cruelty.. I have seen him tie up a lame young woman, and whip her with a heavy cowskin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm red blood to drip; and, in justification of the bloody deed, he would quote this passage of Scripture—‘He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes’” (Douglass 99).

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