Frederick Douglass Narrative

Slavery. This single idea has destroyed millions of lives around the world. Many have tried to eradicate slavery, but most have been unsuccessful. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. He wanted to support the cause of ending slavery, so he escaped slavery himself. After attending many conventions to spread the word of abolitionism, Douglass, with his eloquence, eventually became one of the most influential black men in the country. His popularity helped abolitionists by pushing President Abraham Lincoln to outlaw slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation. He describes his struggle as a slave in his chronicle Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass, though a slave, establishes himself as intelligent and articulate in his narrative due to his tenacity, influence, and courage.

Frederick Douglass proves himself tenacious, learning how to read and write even though it is illegal for slaves to do so, by receiving help from Mrs. Auld and resorting to his wit through using little boys on the street for help. Douglass’s persistence is first demonstrated when he describes his learning experience with Mrs. Auld, mentioning that he learned how to read and write basic English due

Covey, and even considered escaping slavery. For instance, Frederick tired of the abuse he endures, stands up to Mr. Covey by wrestling him for two hours until they finally come to terms (42-43). Mr. Covey represented a figure of authority in Frederick’s life; facing him as an equal demonstrated true courage. Frederick was fed up with the treatment he received; he lost his self-restraint and finally stood up to Covey. A slave standing up to his master would receive an instant death sentence, but Covey was so intimidated by Frederick’s sudden outburst that he stopped mistreating him. Equally courageous was when Frederick decided that he would escape slavery,