Frederick Douglass: My Slave Experience In Maryland

INTRO This reflects onto the justice system millions of slaves had to suffer through everyday MICRO Frederick’s current slaveholder, Mr. Austin Gore never held back from exercising his capability of control. Mr. Gore was willing to punish slaves for something they did not commit. He favoured a dozen slaves enduring severe physical pain more than an overseer being punished for convicting a felony. MACRO This theme of control is represented well by Douglass’s overseer, Mr. Gore.

This book is about Frederick Douglass Narrative, first published in 1845. Born into slavery Douglass became the spokesman for his people during his life. ' 'Incidents in the life of a slave girl ' ' is based on Harriet Jacobs,like Douglass she was born into slavery. Jacob 's brok the silence on the exploitation of african american female slaves.   Frederick Douglass had been born to Harriet Bailey,a slave, at Holm Hill Farm in Talbot County,Maryland.

Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818 with the given name of Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. He was separated from his mother when he was an infant and lived with his grandmother. When he was seven he went to the Wye House plantation, separated again from his family. Frederick's mother died when he was ten.

In the narrative, it states, “The more I read, the more I was lead to abhor and detest my enslavers.” This demonstrates that when Douglass learned about how the slaveholders were treating

The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, is an autobiography of Douglass’

Frederick Douglass’, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a condensed narrative that retells the story of Douglass’ life as a slave from childhood until his escape as an adult. Douglass’ life consisted of various changes that all contributed to the decisions and predicaments he encountered throughout his life. Although he was a slave, in Baltimore for the majority of his life, his descriptions and telling of how slavery slashes both the slave and the slave master are both thought provoking and quite upsetting. The beatings, humiliation, tearing apart of families, and the sexual brutality are all there, laid out in a direct, straightforward style that is somehow more horrifying with its lack of exaggeration. Much of this narrative

To preface the incident, Mr. Gore (the active overseer under Colonel Lloyd) was described as, “artful, cruel, and obdurate”, just the man for the job (Douglass, 54). In my opinion, Gore’s presence is a product of the personality of the previous overseer, Mr. Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins was not viewed as a cruel man, and was even called a “good overseer” by the slaves (48). Mr. Hopkins didn’t hold the position long. Douglass recalls, “Why his career was so short, I do not know, but suppose he lacked the necessary severity to suit Colonel Lloyd (54).

Frederick Douglass published two similar versions of his fight with the ‘slave-breaker’ Edward Covey in the tenth chapter of his The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, and in the seventeenth chapter of My Bondage and My Freedom. By comparing the two accounts it is possible to see an evolution of his thoughts on abolishing slavery and person hood which occurred in the years which transpired between the two works, 1845 and 1855. In the first account which Douglass wrote at around the age of 27 he narrates a physical confrontation where he refuses to allow himself to be whipped. Douglass struggles for two hours with Covey and also fights off Covey’s cousin at the same time.

Both King and Douglass were advocating for the same thing: their constitutional sanction of freedom. Both men, in their respective letters touch upon parallel thoughts and beliefs that revolve around the much bigger topic of racial inequality and discrimination. Both men were discriminated against and they talk about their experiences and plight in their very distinctive yet special styles. Born in the year 1817, in an era of open and unashamed slave trade, Frederick Douglass’s story begins as a serf to Mrs. Hugh in the city of Maryland.

However Douglass points out that it is not the fault of the slave owner but because of the slaves since Mr. Sever “[took] no pleasure in it”. He continues to develop the corruption of the slaveholder when Mr. Plummer: “the louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where theblood ran fastest, there he whipped longest. ”(Douglass 20). Mr. Plummer is the typical slaverholder is the outcome

Douglass encountered multiple harsh realities of being enslaved. For example, the ex-slave was practically starved to death by his masters on multiple occasions. In fact, “[He was] allowed less than a half of a bushel of corn-meal per week, and very little else... It was not enough for [him] to subsist upon... A great many times [he had] been nearly perishing with hunger” (pg 31).

The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass shows the imbalance of power between slaves and their masters. In his book, Douglass proves that slavery is a destructive force not only to the slaves, but also for the slaveholders. “Poison of the irresponsible power” that masters have upon their slaves that are dehumanizing and shameless, have changed the masters themselves and their morality(Douglass 39). This amount of power and control in contact with one man breaks the kindest heart and the purest thoughts turning the person evil and corrupt. Douglass uses flashbacks that illustrate the emotions that declare the negative effects of slavery.

“Yes, sir, he gives me enough, such as it is.” The colonel, after ascertaining where the slave belonged, rode on; the man also went on about his business, not dreaming that he had been conversing with his master. He thought, said, and heard nothing more of the matter, until two or three weeks afterwards. The poor man was then informed by his overseer that, for having found fault with his master, he was now to be sold to a Georgia trader. He was immediately chained and handcuffed; and thus, without a moment’s warning, he was snatched away, and forever sundered, from his family and friends, by a hand more unrelenting than death.”

Frederick Douglass’s narrative provides a first hand experience into the imbalance of power between a slave and a slaveholder and the negative effects it has on them both. Douglass proves that slavery destroys not only the slave, but the slaveholder as well by saying that this “poison of irresponsible power” has a dehumanizing effect on the slaveholder’s morals and beliefs (Douglass 40). This intense amount of power breaks the  kindest heart and changes the slaveholder into a heartless demon (Douglass 40). Yet these are not the only ways that Douglass proves what ill effect slavery has on the slaveholder. Douglass also uses deep characterization, emotional appeal, and religion to present the negative effects of slavery.

In the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, on page 19 Douglass quotes “Mr. Gore was a grave man, and, though a young man, he indulged in no jokes, said no funny words, seldom smiled. His words were in perfect keeping with his looks, and his looks were in perfect keeping with his words. Overseers will sometimes indulge in a witty word, even with the slaves; not so with Mr. Gore. He spoke but to command, and commanded but to be obeyed; he dealt sparingly with his words, and bountifully with his whip, never using the former where the latter would answer as well. When he whipped, he seemed to do so from a sense of duty, and feared no consequences.