Critical Analysis of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Critical Analysis of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Ryan
ENG 201
February 12, 2012
In 1825, freedom was but a word on the wind to a slave; it was an abstract idea. Freedom is an idea that is seemingly in complete disagreement with the life of a slave. Yet freedom is an idea that permeates the heart and soul of every man; even more so for those for which freedom is not given. The life of a slave is a life filled with painful contradictions and hypocrisies. Is not every man in the image of God? Is not every man destined to be free? Such thoughts, while the most natural and innate, are dangerous to a slave. Many slaves have pushed down the urge that so forcefully tries to spring the idea of freedom from the soul. Yet for some, the urge is too great, and the call for freedom is one that cannot go unanswered. One such person is Frederick Douglass, who authored the courageous and heart-wrenching Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In the great Narrative, Douglass serves as a man committed to exposing the reader to the vile, inhumane nature of slavery, while fostering a formal relationship with the reader, not unlike a witness who has been called to testify in court about a defendant; in this case, slavery.
Frederick Douglass keeps the reader at arm’s length, almost unsure as to the reader’s sentiments towards slavery. Douglass wrote the Narrative in the year 1845, when the typical reader is just as likely to favor abolishment, as he is to own a slave. Consequently, Douglass presents his narrative in a logical, straight-forward manner; presenting the facts of his case against slavery in a measured tone. Often times, Douglass will present the horrid and disturbing stories he recounts with a simple phrase like, “the facts in this case were these…” (381). By using a formal tone, Douglass evokes a sentiment of objectivity in the reader, urging the reader to observe the stories as they are presented, and more importantly,
Ryan
ENG 201
February 12, 2012
In 1825, freedom was but a word on the wind to a slave; it was an abstract idea. Freedom is an idea that is seemingly in complete disagreement with the life of a slave. Yet freedom is an idea that permeates the heart and soul of every man; even more so for those for which freedom is not given. The life of a slave is a life filled with painful contradictions and hypocrisies. Is not every man in the image of God? Is not every man destined to be free? Such thoughts, while the most natural and innate, are dangerous to a slave. Many slaves have pushed down the urge that so forcefully tries to spring the idea of freedom from the soul. Yet for some, the urge is too great, and the call for freedom is one that cannot go unanswered. One such person is Frederick Douglass, who authored the courageous and heart-wrenching Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In the great Narrative, Douglass serves as a man committed to exposing the reader to the vile, inhumane nature of slavery, while fostering a formal relationship with the reader, not unlike a witness who has been called to testify in court about a defendant; in this case, slavery.
Frederick Douglass keeps the reader at arm’s length, almost unsure as to the reader’s sentiments towards slavery. Douglass wrote the Narrative in the year 1845, when the typical reader is just as likely to favor abolishment, as he is to own a slave. Consequently, Douglass presents his narrative in a logical, straight-forward manner; presenting the facts of his case against slavery in a measured tone. Often times, Douglass will present the horrid and disturbing stories he recounts with a simple phrase like, “the facts in this case were these…” (381). By using a formal tone, Douglass evokes a sentiment of objectivity in the reader, urging the reader to observe the stories as they are presented, and more importantly,
Cited: Douglass, Frederick. "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin, 2002. 300-403. Print.