An American Slave Authority Essay

477 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of the narrative of the life of frederick douglass

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave is about a slave named Frederick who for a good portion of his life serving his master to the best of his ability. Now Frederick wasn’t your average slave, un like the rest he knew how to read and write. He was very smart to have grown up in his situation. In this book frederick talks about the hardships of being a slave, and also makes an argument of how being a slaveholder can actually have a negative effect on someone and that the authority that comes along with the title is being abused.The question here would be is this a fact? Did the authority over many slaves cause slaveholders to become the brutal characters they are known to be because the authority they possessed? …show more content…

The irresponsible power of slaveholding transforms Sophia from an idealistic woman to a demon.One of Douglass’s slave holders names was Mrs. and Mr. Lucretia and Thomas Auld. After Captain Anthony’s death, Lucretia inherits half his property, including Douglass. This married couple was one of his very first slave holders, She allows Her brother Hugh borrow Douglass to help his son. He had a wife who is referred to as Mrs. Auld. She started out as nice caring woman She helped douglass, even started to teach him how to read. But that all changed when her husband came and told her that she was doing this all wrong. He says “quote”. And from this point on she became more cruel than her husband. In the story it says she. “This kind heart had but a short time to remain such. The fatal poison of irresponsible power was in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice made of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord, and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.”. Now yes the different from between Mrs. Sophia Auld is evidence but that doesn’t necessary that her realizing her power cause to become they women she was. They are many possible reason for sudden change one thing it could have been her husband expanding her authority upon her. Enforcing her to be as nasty and cruel as she could

Show More
Related

  • Goal to Abolish Slavery in the Autobiography The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass gives a first person perspective on the life of a slave laborer in both the rural south and the city. Frederick Douglass gave himself an education against horrible odds, and was able to read and think forever about the evils of slavery and good reasons for its abolishment. The primary reason for his disgust with slavery was its effect of dehumanizing not only the slaves, but their masters too. His main goal: to abolish slavery.

    Read More

  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tone established in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is unusual in that from the beginning to the end the focus has been shifted. In the beginning of the narrative Douglass seems to fulfill every stereotypical slavery theme. He is a young black slave who at first cannot read and is very naïve in understanding his situation. As a child put into slavery Douglass does not have the knowledge to know about his surroundings and the world outside of slavery. In Douglass’ narrative the tone is first set as that of an observer, however finishing with his own personal accounts.

    Read More

  • Fredrick Douglass Argumentative Analysis

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first element of slavery that Frederick attacks is that slavery puts constraints on a slave’s individuality. In his narrative, he states that slaves were compared to animals by the way the slave owner treated them because slaves were considered as property and not as human beings. When slaves came into the new world, they were sold and given new names and over time were supposed to assimilate to the American culture. Since slave masters did not think slaves could assimilate to the American culture, slave masters kept them as workers; therefore, slaves were not given an education, leaving them illiterate, and thereby leaving them without any knowledge on how the American political system works. Slave owners thought that if slaves would become literate, that slaves would start to question the rights they have. Frederick argues that slaves l...

    Read More

  • Essay On Southern Slavery

    428 Words  | 1 Pages

    Slavery was so important and spread in because of agriculture and economic value that occurred in the Southern Colonies. When the North was developing economic foundations, the root of it was shipping and manufacturing industry whose primary workforce consisted of poor families. Slaves were not used in shipping because you needed qualified and skilled sailors, were unskilled manual laborers could not be used. The families who owned farms had a work ethic that emphasized personal independence, which didn't agree with slavery in general. Most Northerners couldn't afford to own slaves because the farms in the North were family farms that produced grains, vegetables, and livestock that supported the families, communities, and cities, not emphasizing

    Read More

  • the development of slavery in America

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    Slavery was the main resource used in the Chesapeake tobacco plantations. The conditions in the Chesapeake region were difficult, which lead to malnutrition, disease, and even death. Slaves were a cheap and an abundant resource, which could be easily replaced at any time. The Chesapeake region’s tobacco industries grew and flourished on the intolerable and inhumane acts of slavery.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Meaning Of Freedom

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frederick was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland in the year 1818, to Harriet Bailey and a white man. He did not know who his father was, and was separated from his mother at a young age. She would always make the effort to come visit her son, until she passed away. The death of his mother did not affect Douglass because there was a lack of familial connection between the two. The lack of a real mother-son relationship led to him not understanding what family felt like, until he comes into contact with his aunt Hester. His relationship with his aunt Hester essentially exposed him to the grim reality of slave mistreatment. One day, their master had caught Aunt Hester out with another slave, which resulted in Hester receiving a cruel and gruesome beating from him. Douglass had not known what the reality of inhumane slave treatment was until that day. This essentially led to Frederick having his first epiphany: that he is a slave and that his master would try to dehumanize him whenever the opportunity was presented to him. This is evident when Douglass states the slaves are subject to receiving limited supplies, lack of privacy and cruel whippings whenever their services were deemed to not be up to par (Douglass 14). Masters mistreated their slaves in order to make them feel inferior, which would prevent the slaves from lashing out and fighting for their equality. Yet a human can withstand so much suffering until they realize they deserve

    Read More

  • An Interview With an American Slave

    1398 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is the account of an ex-slave by the name of William Barker who now resides in Bethany, AL. He is approximately 95 years old and lives in a little shack with a plot of land. He has worked for some local townsfolk doing some grounds keeping and gardening since he was freed when he was 20. But for the most part, Barker keeps to himself. He has no wife and no children. He is only 5 foot 4 and may weigh about 145 lbs. As a slave he worked as a gardner, and later learned to cook, but soon thereafter was freed. Gardening is all he seems to know. However, he seems very proficient at hunting. He says that is the only way he keep alive, living off what God gives him from the land and water. He was son to Frances William and Eliza William. His father died in the war. Because of his size and ability to cook, William Barker did not go to war. His mammy died within weeks of being free due to starvation. Here is his account

    Read More

  • The Dehumanizing Effect Of Slavery By Frederick Douglass

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mrs. Sophia Auld was unlike any white person Douglass had met before because she had "the kindest heart and finest feelings." She had never owned a slave, and, prior to her marriage, she was an industrious weaver. But her personality soon changed. At first, Mrs. Auld taught Douglass how to read, but Mr. Auld admonished her and explained, "Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world . . . if you teach that nigger . . . how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave." She doesn 't understand much about the slave-owning culture, as she becomes corrupted by the experience of owning Douglass, she shows that slave owning is terrible thing for white people too. She is changed from a warm and sympathetic woman to a cruel, jealous tyrant. As Douglass mentions:

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Chapter 4 Analysis

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    Narrating these stories informs readers not familiar with slavery a clear idea on how slaves lived and were treated. The novel brings a strong political message to our society. If Douglass explains to people what slavery was about, they would be influenced to make a change. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the story of Frederick Douglass from the time he was born a slave to the time of his escape to freedom. Through years of physical abuse and assault, Douglass overcame these obstacles to become an advocate against

    Read More

  • Key Arguments in "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass"

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself (ed. John Blassingame) Yale University Press, 2001.

    Read More

  • The Brutalizing Effects of Slavery Illustrated in the Book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    1637 Words  | 4 Pages

    Frederick Douglass, the author of the book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, said “I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder” (Douglass, p.71). Modern people can fairly and easily understand the negative effects of slavery upon slave. People have the idea of slaves that they are not allow to learn which makes them unable to read and write and also they don’t have enough time to take a rest and recover their injuries. However, the negative effects upon slaveholder are less obvious to modern people. People usually think about the positive effects of slavery upon slaveholder, such as getting inexpensive labor. In the book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass also shows modern readers some brutalizing impact upon the owner of the slaves. He talks about Thomas Auld and Edward Covey who are his masters and also talks about Sophia Auld who is his mistress. We will talk about those three characters in the book which will help us to find out if there were the negative influences upon the owner of the slaves or not. Also, we will talk about the power that the slaveholders got from controlling their slaves and the fear that the slaveholders maybe had to understand how they were changed.

    Read More

  • The Institution Of Slavery’s Corruption Of The White Slaveholder

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, one of the major themes is how the institution of slavery has an effect on the moral health of the slaveholder. The power slaveholders have over their slaves is great, as well as corrupting. Douglass uses this theme to point out that the institution of slavery is bad for everyone involved, not just the slaves. Throughout the narrative, Douglass uses several of his former slaveholders as examples. Sophia Auld, once such a kind and caring woman, is transformed into a cruel and oppressive slave owner over the course of the narrative. Thomas Auld, also. Douglass ties this theme back to the main concern of authorial control. Although this is a personal account, it is also a tool of propaganda, and is used as such. Douglass’s intent is to convince readers that the system of slavery is horrible and damaging to all included, and thus should be abolished completely. Douglass makes it very clear in his examples how exactly the transformation occurs and how kind and moral people can become those who beat their slaves and pervert Christianity in an attempt to justify it.

    Read More

  • Slavery By Another Name Essay

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    The film “Slavery by another name" is a one and a half hour documentary produced by Catherine Allan and directed by Sam Pollard, and it was first showcased by Sundance Film Festival in 2012. The film is based on Douglas Blackmonbook Slavery by Another Name, and the plot of the film revolves around the history and life of African Americans after Emancipation Proclamation; which was effected by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, for the purpose of ending slavery of African Americans in the U.S. The film reveals very brutal stories of how slavery of African Americans persisted in through forced labor and cruelty; especially in the American south which continued until the beginning of World War II. The film brings to light one of my upbringing

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Importance Of Being Earnest

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    She was always so sassy and rude and always trying to find rich men for her daughter. Woman like Lady Braknell thought that they should be the one making choices for whom their daughters should be with. They did not take into consideration their daughter’s feelings or what they wanted or liked or looked for in a man.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this book, Douglass narrated the life of a slave in the United States into finer details. This paper will give a description of life a slave in the United States was living, as narrated through the experiences of Fredrick Douglass.

    Read More

More about An American Slave Authority Essay

Open Document