Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - SparkNotes This In his book, Douglass proves that slavery is a destructive force not only to the slaves, but also for the slaveholders. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. When slavery was abolished in 1865, it was a critical turning point in the journey towards equality for African Americans. Douglass, in Chapter ten, pages thirty-seven through thirty-nine, of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, utilizes various rhetorical techniques and tone shifts to convey his desperation to find hope in this time of misery and suffering. Douglass is aggressive, but it is a controlled aggression. Simply stated, Douglass was attempting to expose the horror of slavery to a large reading public. and sense of personal history. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a Identify evidence from the excerpt that reveals why learning to read was so important to Frederick Douglass when he was a boy. Slaveholders often hid behind interpretations of the Bible which suited and, they believed, condoned their behavior. Douglass was born into slavery because of his mothers status as a slave. Douglass does this to illustrate the illiteracy of the slaves. . American literature of the nineteenth century reveals that human nature embodies contrasting traits such as love and cruelty through the uses of literary devices. His book was a highly political document, intended to foster opposition to slavery among educated Northerners. He uses metaphors and antithesis within to strengthen that connection. He compares the mournful singing of a slaves to the way a castaway on a deserted island might sing to content himself in the following excerpt: The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion. It shows that slaves are not allowed to know/or told any personal information about themselves. . It makes us dive into the time of slavery, suffer together with the slaves, and feel physically and emotionally the injustice of the system of the slavery. W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Frederick Douglass Figurative Language | ipl.org The first does not tell of his abolitionist activities, travels, eventual emancipation, and other reform work. Douglass uses figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in his narrative. Only this last sentence alludes to his life beyond his time in New Bedford. Frederick Douglass's narrative consists of figurative language. While slavery was a well-known and growing problem in the south, it wasnt as widely recognized in the north. RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with . Later Douglass talks about the songs that he used to hear when he was confined in slavery, songs that "told a tale of woe beyond [his] comprehension." With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. By clearly connecting with his audience's emotions, Douglass uses numerous rhetorical devices, including anecdotes and irony, to argue the depravity of slavery. Some of the CCSS standards listed in the instructional plan are only marginally addressed, if at all. Here a worksheets and resources to help you teach or better understand this inspirational novel. However, there is somewhat of a larger point here: Douglass was using a style of speaking and writing that white America had long denied him or thought him even intellectually capable of possessing. would have known if his mother had been present. Douglass's refusal to allow Covey to brutally beat him anymore constitutes the climax of the autobiography. Like the Jews, the slaves felt like their persecution would eventually end in an afterlife where they would encounter their friends and families and finally be free of the brutality, oppression, and meaningless of their earthly lives. And slavery is when families who had colored skin were separated and sold of to a person that can do anything to them, the slave is pretty much like the slaveholders property. Mr. "The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass depicts certain instances where he exploits the American perspective of slavery rather than challenging it. Log in here. There is great irony in this passage containing the apostrophe: the inanimate boats have a freedom that a living, breathing man does not. Angels are also thought of as protective and as of agents of God, so using this simile helps the reader to understand how much protection Douglass needed. Adolescents in todays society could use Fredericks determination as an example of moving forward to better oneself or ones situation regardless of, For example, in chapter three,3 Douglass uses irony to describe the excessive attention his master, Colonel Lloyd, pays to his horses. Latest answer posted August 21, 2018 at 9:25:03 PM. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass shows life a slave in the nineteenth century. Douglass's goal in writing his narrative is to persuade the reader to stand against slavery and realize Douglass, like This is the moment before the climax, of course; Douglass would eventually find the strength to resist Covey and succeed in asserting his manhood. It is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. Book Pairings - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - CommonLit | He feels as if, "You are freedom's swift-winged angels, that fly round the world" to compare the free as easy-going angels that can go as they please. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular The injustice imposed upon the African-American slaves by their owners was the crux of Douglasss motivation to escape this inhumane life. You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.". Douglass again uses parallelism to show how slavery was heartbroken by describing how the overseers didnt care. In the third quotation (below), Douglass uses imagery of fire and darkness along with animalistic imagery to convey the impact that the life of a slave had upon him. While at Lloyd's farm he did not have many duties and was not often afflicted with beatings or oppression. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Douglass recounts his experiences and tribulations as a slave. He firmly believed that he was no longer truly a slave after this episode. I wish I could describe the rapture that flashed through my soul as I beheld it. In the first quotation below, for example, Douglass uses a series of vivid metaphors to compare the plight of a slave with the plight of a free man. He implemented a didactic tone to portray the viciousness of slave-owners and the severe living conditions for the slaves. He allows the reader to spend a day in the life of a slave to see the effects from it. endobj It will be worse. Want 100 or more? Here, Douglass becomes emotional towards the audience. During this time, I succeeded in learning to read and write.. Douglass makes a claim that authentic Christianity's can be found in the black community, not the white. It also evinced a very educated and highbrow rhetorical style that seemingly left the slave dialect behind. by Frederick Douglass Buy Study Guide Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Summary and Analysis of Preface and Letter from Wendell Phillips, Esq. He finds that both types of people are deceitful and are enslaved to false ideals. He had little to go off regarding his age and lineage. It struck me with awful force. DO 1 I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. In it, Douglass criticizes directlyoften with withering ironythose who defend slavery and those who prefer a romanticized version of it. Frederick Douglass - Biography, Leader in the Abolitionist Movement Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself study guide contains a biography of Frederick Douglass, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave I'm sorry, you will need to provide the excerpt in question. What Lloyd did not realize was that slaves were not animals but men, with thoughts and emotions of their own. In this passage he explicitly notes that he felt provided for by God, and that God had a special purpose for him. The slaveholder would dehumanize the slave to the point where the human was no longer recognizable; instead, the slave was property. However, these feelings induced by Mrs. Auld soon turn to hatred and remorse as the fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. She grew into her position as a slaveholder and began to relish the absolute power she held over her young slave. 5 10). Summary Analysis Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. In the Narrative Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, he uses this text to explain his purpose in throwing light on the American slave system, or show it for what it really is, as well as show his position on how he strongly believes slavery is an issue that needs to be addressed and how it differs from those who defended slavery, with experiences from his own life to support his argument. If this lesson plan is used in a history/social studies course, some modifications will be necessary including: the replacement of the ELA CCSS listed above with the English Language Arts Standards in History/Social Studies that are targeted in this lessonalong withadditional history/social studies content to meet grade-specific content standards. Douglass devotes large parts of his Narrative to demonstrating how a slave is "made," beginning at birth. He demonstrates that his indomitable will and desire to be free is more powerful than slavery. The Narrative captures the universality of slavery, with its vicious slaveholders and its innocent and aggrieved slaves. Analysis of Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass Purchasing You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. separation ensured that Douglass did not develop familial feelings He starts out describing his new slave owner, Sophia Auld as a white face beaming with the most kindly emotions; it was the face of my new mistress, Sophia Auld.