After reading about a good amount of Frederick Douglass's life I definitely had a change in heart compared to how I felt after reading George Fitzhugh. George Fitzhugh made slavery sound good. Even though I knew in my head that it wasn't, his persuasive writing had an effect on me. Now however, I have gone back to my original feelings on slavery for the most part. I can still understand how slavery can be benificial, but it was completely unfair and cruel most of the time. Although parts of Douglass's life didn't seem as harsh as I sometimes imagined slavery to be, it's sad to think that he was somehow lucky (at least I would consider him somewhat lucky compared to many other slaves).
One benefit he had over many other slaves was that he was a slave to the Auld's in Baltimore. Douglass says "but for the mere circumstance of being removed from that plantation to Baltimore, I should have to-day, instead of being here seated by my own table, in the enjoyment of freedom and the happiness of home, writing this Narrative, been confined in the galling chaings of slavery." Douglass is saying himself that, without the opportunity that he had in Baltimore he felt that he wouldn't be the free man that he was while writing this Narrative. His master's wife took the initiative to teach him how to start reading. Somewhat odd during that time, but she still did it nonetheless. It seems as though she may not have known what to do with a slave. After her husband scared her out of treating Douglass well it almost seemed as though she started to feel guilty for ever taking the time to be kind of helpful. After she stopped teaching him how to read, seeing him with the newspaper made her furious. Perhaps she was scared of what she had started. If it wasn't for her he wouldn't be reading the newspaper and knowing what was really going on around him.
Douglass used his resources well and eventually became one of the few slaves that were able to read and write. I find it interesting that Douglass sometimes thought of this as a burden. However, this is understandable. Douglass knew what was out in the world but was stuck in slavery. In the end being able to read and write is actually what drove him to escape, or so he says. He bacame very crafty and determined. I find it interesting that for how much he talked about escaping he waited quite a while before attempting it, and after his first attempt was nearly discovered, he waited a decent amount of time again. For all the passion that he had to be free it would seem that he would have tried to leave right away, but maybe that makes him smarter than many other slaves. His timing and planned all seemed to be right, and he escaped slavery with many different skills and the ability to read and write.
5 comments:
I agree with what you were saying about how Douglass most likely wouldn't have wanted to escape, or at least not in the same way that he had gone about it both times, with out having received an education. I'm sure many uneducated slaves wanted to escape and attempted to, but being educated had to help his odds. With Douglass being educated he understood what exactly was going on, and the underlying issues with slavery other than the simple statement of it being cruel and unjust. An example of this being how he felt it an insult for his master to give him a small portion of his pay, because he felt that it alluded to his masters acknowledgement that the whole pay should rightfully be his.
Amanda, I liked the point you brought up about Douglass' mistress in Baltimore not knowing what to do with a slave. I thought it was really interesting how he describes her as radiant with kindness, almost angelic, and then after she stops teaching him to read her "cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage." I thought this notion of the institution of slavery as an "infection" of sorts really interesting. Slavery could turn the kindest person into a monster. A little different from Fitzhugh's take.
I definitely agree with the idea that Douglas's owners in Baltimore were unsure of what to do with a slave. Fro the most part I think that Baltimore could be considered the pinnacle of the slaves life. If I were to guess I would say that life, as a slave was the most similar to Douglas's account of life under the Overseer Mr. Plummer. Life was cruel and hard.
I agree with what you said about leaning to read. I think that some people who have never had a slave don't really know what to do, don't know if they should be mean. So in the beginning they are nice and help them, like one of the mistresses did, teaching him to read. But then in an instant, like in Douglass's story someone tells you how to act and you beleive them. I think that what makes people stay that way could be the sense of power that they can have over someone.
I think you made an important point about Fitzhugh being so persuasive that he made slavery actually sound ok, Douglass was a good follow up because it came from the complete opposite direction and almost snaps you back into reality. Although Douglass can be looked at as lucky I think he is also kinda unlucky. His living situations seemed to be nicer then most but like you said he had not only the gift of knowledge but also the burden of knowledge. He couldn't do anything with or even to show his knowledge while he was living as a slave to anyone.
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