Into the Life of Frederick Douglas

There once was a time when slavery existed in the United States. African Americans all over the country were being treated as if they were less than nothing, and it seemed like it would never end. During this time, there is one person who desires change more than anything. Frederick Douglass knew life was full of decisions between giving up and growing up, especially when it came to the desire of change in his life and the United States. Because of him, slavery no longer exists and lives were changed forever. Douglass knows that he either had to give up on gaining his freedom, or he hadsto grow up and decide how he was going to obtain it. Never has Douglass had it easy, not even as a child. Even his childhood is filled with unhappiness and sorrow, because slavery is all he has known. “A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (12). Even from an early age Douglass knows that this is not the lifestyle that he wants and he also is well aware of the inequality. He could have chosen then to give up and be pushed around, but he didn’t. He refused to be a part of that lifestyle and he had to grow up and make an adult decision. Many slaves had already given up hope, but not Douglass. He fought for the freedom that he rightfully deserved. “The one held me an abject slave- a prisoner for life, punished for some transgression in which I had no lot or part; and the other counseled me to manly endeavor to secure my freedom. The contest was now ended; my chains were broken, and the victory brought me unspeakable joy” (108). Because he didn’t give up, he is rewarded with a happiness that not even the most creative writer could describe. His freedom made up for all of the unhappiness he has encountered over the years. Douglass never gave up on his freedom. If anything, he influenced America and showed the United States that it was time for them to grow up and do the right thing. Throughout his journey, he had to make many decisions about giving up or growing up. He had to choose between letting his owners break him and rising to the top. He had to choose between being treated like property and being treated as a human. “He then gave me a savage kick in the side, and told me to give up. I tried to do so, but fell back in the attempt. He gave me anther kick, and again told me to rise. I again tried, and succeeded in gaining my feet; but, stooping to get the tub with which I was feeding the fan, I again staggered and fell” (47). It didn’t matter how many times he was beaten, he endeavored until his freedom. He could have given in to the torture and the abuse, however, he is not that kind of man. In Houston A. Baker Jr’s article, “The Economics of Douglass’s Narrative”, we also see him mention brutality that slaves endure. “The image of vast abundance produced by slaves but denied them through the brutality of the owner of the means of production (i.e., the land) suggests a purely economic transformation of a traditional image of the biblical garden and its temptations” (167). What he is trying to say is that the owners are brutal to their slaves, but they can’t necessarily kill them because they need to slaves to help in the production of their farms. There are many slave owners, however, who don’t care if their slaves die because they could always buy more. Douglass is very fortunate to have survived the brutality he endured and to live to be able to tell his story. There is a saying that whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. That is most definitely true in Douglass’s case. His entire life he was supposed to give in to his owners. He grew from this experience, not only physically but mentally as well. Slavery is hard on the body, but it is also very hard on the mind. Douglass never gave up, he only grew as a person. He decided that he deserves to be treated like a person and not a piece of property. That is also a crucial stage in his growing up process. Robert Stepto wrote a fantastic article about the narrative Douglass wrote. We rarely hear about slaves being educated, and we definitely never hear about them being able to read or write. His education allowed for him to tell the world his story, which also marks him down in history (146-157). Douglass never let his past affect his future, which was also crucial in the growing up decision that he made. Even after he escaped from slavery he continued to grow up and not give up. He could have chosen to lay low and not do anything for himself, however, he got an education. In his Narrative he even states that one of his masters is most definitely not a humane slave owner. Douglass was beaten, starved, and abused. It is amazing that he didn’t let get the best of him. He endured all of the pain and never gave up on someday obtaining freedom. Douglass was born into a lifestyle that set his up to fail and he was taught to give up, however, he beat the odds and came out stronger than ever. One day he decides to put on his big boy pants and stand up for himself. He knows he deserves better. The day that Douglass obtains his freedom is a turning point in his life. He makes a grown up decision that not only changes his life, but sets the United States ups for change as well. Frederick Douglass desires nothing more than for change to overcome the United States. Douglass himself escaped from slavery and he had one wish: abolish slavery. During the long journey that Douglass endures he states, “The abolition of slavery in my native state and throughout the country, and the lapse of time, render the caution hitherto observed no longer necessity” (104). This terrible epidemic that seems to swoop across the United States takes a toll on everyone, not just the slaves. Before Douglass’s escape, the Abolition party wasn’t very vocal about their beliefs, however, they eventually became great activists for abolishing slavery. Margaret Fuller mentions in her article that Douglass is a very vocal member of the Abolition party, which is not surprising since he is very much for the abolition of slavery. The one thing he desires most is for the United States to change their inhumane ways and for equality to emerge. The rise of the Abolition party goes to show the change that the United States is undergoing at the time. It is very unheard of for an African American to be involved in politics, however, Douglass participates and he makes it known (83-88). Douglass becomes a very important activist for the abolition of slavery. The fact that the Abolition party allowed for him to participate in politics shows that the United States was already undergoing change. Douglass knew that it was going to be baby steps for the United States to change completely, but he was very ecstatic to see that equality was about to be seen in the United States for the first time. Douglass isn’t the only one who had to decide between giving up and growing up. The United States has to choose as well. This country could either choose to give up on ever having equality, or they could grow up and take charge. In 1865 slavery finally came to an end, which was a day that Douglass never thought he would see. One would think that after the abolition of slavery everything would be better. Many people wanted to hear the stories of the lives that slaves lived, but not everyone was willing to share. Here, Douglass touches on his feelings about slavery. “But, even since the abolition of slavery, I have sometimes thought it well enough to baffle curiosity by saying that while slavery existed there were good reasons for not telling the manner of my escape, and since slavery had ceased to exist there was no reason for telling it (104).”Just because the United States had made a grown up decision to abolish slavery doesn’t mean that the people who were victims of it wanted to relive their darkest nightmares. This has always been a very touchy topic and not many people speak of it, however, William L. Andrews talks a great deal about Douglass and his part in the reformation of the United States. “The American jeremiad structured Douglass into a fixed bipolar set of alternatives with which to define the experience and aspirations of ‘an American slave.’” (165). It’s almost as if Andrews is saying that Douglass is the poster child of slavery. He goes on to say, “Douglass deconstructs the fundamental opposition between white people and black animals on which much of the rationale for slavery was based. That separation between white and black cannot hold because it is culturally, not naturally, determined” (165). Andrews’s entire article is based on the fact that Douglass is a major factor in the abolition of slavery. Douglass definitely contributed a lot of time and energy into making his one and only desire come true. It is safe to say that Frederik Douglass is a very important part of history. If he wasn’t then we wouldn’t be studying him today. We can even say that he was a very important figure in the abolition of slavery. He never let his owners get the best of him and he never gave up hope. Douglass pushed through the brutality and the inequality. Not only did he himself change as a person, but the United States changed as a whole. His deepest desire came true, and he was part of the reason why. It is people like him who completely changed the United States. Slavery no longer exists, and our country has come so far in creating equality for all ethnicities. Without a doubt, Frederick Douglass would be very happy to see the major milestones that the United States has achieved. There is always room for improvement and change, and the United States will continue to grow, develop, and change from this epidemic that has been cured. Works Cited Andrews, William L., “Frederick Douglass and the American Jeremiad.” Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: Authoritative Text, Contexts, and Criticism. Ed. William L. Andrews, and William S. McFeely. New York: Norton, 1997. 157-166. Print. Baker, Houston A. Jr., “The Economics of Douglass’s Narrative.” Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: Authoritative Text, Contexts, and Criticism. Ed. William L. Andrews, and William S. McFeely. New York: Norton, 1997. 166-171. Print. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: Authoritative Text, Contexts, and Criticism. Ed. William L. Andrews, and William S. McFeely. New York: Norton, 1997. 3-188. Print. Fuller, Margaret. "Review of the Narrative." Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: Authoritative Text, Contexts, and Criticism. Ed. William L. Andrews, and William S. McFeely. New York: Norton, 1997. 83-88. Print. Stepto, Robert B. "Narration, Authentication, and the Authorial Control in Frederick Douglass' Narrative of 1845." Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: Authoritative Text, Contexts, and Criticism. Ed. William L. Andrews, and William S. McFeely. New York: Norton, 1997. 146-57. Print.