“The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
Frederick Douglass and the autobiography that shaped America
Introduction and Thesis
Over the course of mankind, millions of books have been written. Many of these books have had a large impact on society; however, when evaluating which book has had the largest impact, “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” seems to top the list every single time. Although published over 160 years ago, it is still extremely popular today. However, “Narrative” has been extensively challenged throughout history, due to its racial content and the horrors it contains, the novel is a perfect example of pre-Civil War life in America(American Culture). In a thought-provoking manner, Frederick Douglass uses his past experiences as a slave to call attention to end slavery, and to show that African-Americans could be just as intelligent as whites(Wikipedia).
About the Author
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland around 1818. His birth name was Frederick Bailey, but changed his last name to Douglass after he escaped from slavery. As a slave, Douglass was separated from his family at a young age, and while working for the Auld family in Baltimore, he was taught the alphabet. From there, he taught himself how to read and write, and began teaching other slaves as well (History). Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838 and shortly after married Anna Murray.
While living in Massachusetts, Douglass became a heavy follower of the abolitionist movement. During one meeting, Douglass met William Lloyd Garrison, who encouraged Douglass to write his memoir, which was published in 1845.
After his memoirs were published, Douglass traveled extensively throughout the world, giving speeches(History). He would later publish two more memoirs, My Bondage (1855) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881). He died in 1895 of a heart attack and stroke.
About the Book
Published in 1845, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is considered one of the most profound memoirs in American history. The autobiography details Douglass’ life as he grew up as a slave and later escaped. The autobiography uses Douglass’ life to further support the author’s claim that slavery should be abolished.
Douglass typically speaks in a straightforward and professional tone; however, sometimes he becomes extremely emotional and uses an ironic tone. This has an extremely positive effect on the author’s writing, as it shows the Douglass is extremely emotional and passionate about the issue(SparkNotes).
One of the most important events in Frederick Douglass’ life is him learning to read and write. Douglass came to understand that whites held power over their slaves by keeping them uneducated so he attempted to resolve this (SparkNotes). This event would shape the rest of his life, as it allows him to escape slavery and become dedicated towards helping the lives of other slaves.
Much of the content of the book is of Douglass’ life, but the end of the book includes an appendix which is extremely important. Douglass discusses his own views on religion and how he find it hypocritical that Southern plantation owners practice Christianity but then own slaves(Wikipedia).
Legacy of the Autobiography
“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” received many positive reviews, but there was a large group of people who were not fans of the autobiography. Many were outraged by what Douglass wrote about and how he exposed the true horrors of slavery to the public.
Douglass’ autobiography was challenged for several reasons. One of the main reasons was for its racial content. Many people believed that since Douglass was black, he couldn’t have published the book himself, or that he himself was actually inept.
Douglass wrote the book for two mains reasons: to show his reasoning behind the abolition of slavery, and to show that African-Americans were just as qualified and intelligent as white Americans. His autobiography was largely successful at this, and it did earn him prominence around the world (Harvard). The popularity of the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” would give Douglass a platform to speak his opinions of the issues of the day.
His subsequent writings deal with primarily the objective of abolitionism, but also support the suffrage movement.
Frederick Douglass’ first autobiography is one of the greatest literary works of our time, even though it was published over 160 years ago. The autobiography is extremely popular today, and is still an important read as America still deals with its past and in its forward charge toward equality.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes, 2021, www.sparknotes.com/lit/narrative/facts/.
History.com Editors. “Frederick Douglass.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass.
“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Frederick_Douglass,_an_American_Slave#Chapters_1%E2%80%934.
Quarles, Benjamin. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Revisited.” Harvard University Press, 2021, www.hup.harvard.edu/features/frederick-douglass/.
Railton, Stephen. “Uncle Toms Cabin and American Culture.” Uncle Tom’s Cabin & American Culture, University of Virginia, 2009, utc.iath.virginia.edu/.