This example of the base meanness of slaveholders serves as one of the most melancholy moments in Douglass's Narrative. This Grade 8 lesson plan titled Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Written by Himself cited on cgcs.org is intended to be completed in two to three 50-minute language arts classes. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. "Does Frederick Douglass use figurative language in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave?" Prior to the eradication of slavery writers like Frederick Douglass sought to free millions of slaves in America. When slavery was abolished in 1865, it was a critical turning point in the journey towards equality for African Americans. Given the multiple uses of repetition, antithesis, indirect tone shifts, and various other rhetorical techniques, we can see Douglass relaying to his audience the hardships of slavery through ethos, the disheartening times that slavery brings, and his breakthrough of determination to obtain freedom. Nineteenth-century readers placed great value on the family 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. endobj Douglass does use a range of figurative language devices throughout his writing. . He goes one step further and uses the metaphor to convey that he walked through the gates of hell itself when he first witnessed a beating. "You are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. O that I were free!" )99:$tTVp4AAbGV!pv?T}mmJlH.81V order to contrast normal stages of childhood development with the With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. On the other hand, this passage and the autobiography as a whole are records of the brutality of slavery. He finds that both types of people are deceitful and are enslaved to false ideals. Douglass devotes large parts of his Narrative to demonstrating how a slave is "made," beginning at birth. Douglass uses the example of Sophia Auld, his mistress in Baltimore, to elucidate his assertion. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!". One who is a slaveholder at heart never recognizes a human being in a slave (Angelina Grimke). You move merrily before the gentle gale, and I sadly before the bloody whip! Prior to the eradication of slavery writers like Frederick Douglass sought to free millions of slaves in America. Midway through hisNarrative,Douglass makes an apostrophe to the ships on the Chesapeake Bay. Hope and fear, two contradictory emotions that influence us all, convicted Frederick Douglass to choose life over death, light over darkness, and freedom over sin. Douglasss purpose in the narrative was to show how slaves lived, what they experienced, and how they were unquestionably less comfortable in captivity than they would have been in a liberated world. It shows that slaves are not allowed to know/or told any personal information about themselves. Summary Analysis Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland. When Douglass writes that he is "fast in (his) chains" and "confined in bands of iron," he means this both literally and figuratively. After teaching himself to write, Frederick Douglass became as master at creating a spellbinding story, full of persuasive techniques needed to spread awareness of the horrors of slavery and using writing techniques to hold readers's attention. RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Employing his experience as a slave, Douglass accurately expressed the terrors that he and the other slaves endured. Writing about it as if it were a person allows the reader to better imagine how it must have felt to be the victim of that power. In the autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, Douglas reinforces the universal human condition of freedom through syntax, figurative language, and selection of detail. As he grew older, however, he lamented how learning only made him more miserable, especially during periods where he had some sense of freedom and leisure. It was a new and strange sight to me, brightening up my pathway with the light of happiness (Ch. Douglass is aggressive, but it is a controlled aggression. The same traits of character might be seen in Colonel Lloyd's slaves, as are seen in the slaves of the political parties. 4 0 obj While some think that slaves sing out of contentment, Douglass writes that slaves sing out of sorrow. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass tells the remarkable story of Frederick Douglass as he witnesses the dehumanizing effects of slavery on both slaves and their masters and works to be acknowledged as a human being. What does Frederick Douglass mean when he says "Bread of Knowledge". What evidence does he use to support his claim? Summary Douglass spent about seven years in Master Hugh's house, and, in secret, he learned to read and write during that time, despite the fact that the once-kindly Mrs. Auld soon internalized the evils of being a slave owner. of family structure would have saddened readers and appeared to Frederick Douglas uses metaphors in this chapter such as "and thereby run the hazard of closing the slightest avenue by which a brother slave might clear himself of the chains and fetters of slavery" to tell the reader that enslavement is not just a restriction of liberty of one's body but also the restriction of one's soul. 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. The word rapture eloquently expresses his feelings of joy and peace as he meets Mrs. Auld. master separated him from his mother soon after his birth. A famous slave and abolitionist in the struggle for liberty on behalf of American slaves, Frederick Douglass, in his autobiography published in 1845, portrayed the horrors of captivity in the South. At Covey's farm he had neither; here he experienced his nadir - his lowest, basest, most dehumanizing experience within a lifetime of slavery. He had little to go off regarding his age and lineage. For example, the ex-slave was practically starved to death by his masters on multiple occasions. His mother died. This comparative To him, the fortuitous events of his early life could not be random; rather, they were ordained by a benevolent divine power. The story that surrounds the transatlantic slave trade is notoriously known, by both young and old, across the nation. But I should be false to the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. Summary The Preface to the Narrative was written by William Lloyd Garrison, the famous abolitionist, on May 1st, 1845 in Boston, Massachusetts. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Want 100 or more? You can find out the quirk of you to create proper statement of reading style. . This amount of power and control in contact with one man breaks the kindest heart and the purest thoughts turning the person evil and corrupt. When Douglass, These conflicting emotions show that while Douglass is physically free, he is still a slave to fear, insecurity, loneliness, and the looming threat of being forced back into the arms of slavery. Within My Bondage and My Freedom, Douglass uses diction throughout the autobiography to display his tone of understanding, and how slavery affects both the slave and the slave holder which causes the mood of frustration for the reader. The lesson plan is useful primarily because of the texts rigor and the learning tasks that provide students with opportunities to engage with a complex text. 3 0 obj His story contains elements of the unimaginable realities of slavery, in pursuance of reaching out to an audience to spread awareness. Best Known For: Frederick Douglass was a leader in the abolitionist movement, an early champion of women's rights and author of 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass . How many masters did Frederick Douglass have? In the excerpt, Frederick Douglass recounts his transition from feelings of excitement to feelings of fear and loneliness during his escape and his arrival in New York using figurative language, diction, and repetition. Frederick Douglass realized this follow-ing his time as both a slave and a fugitive slave. Slavery consists of physical as well as mental bondage, and Douglass sloughs off the physical bondage of Covey. 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. "You are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I am fast in my chains, and am a slave! In the passage about his escape and arrival in New York, Douglass emotions regress from feelings of joy to feelings of emptiness. 5 10). Because they were his prized possession, Lloyd would beat the slaves in charge of taking care of them if the horses misbehaved in any manner. Covey's course toward me form an epoch in my humble history. Read the Study Guide for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Embracing the In-between: The Double Mental Life of Frederick Douglass, An Analysis of the Different Forms of Freedom and Bondage Presented in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Humanization of a Murdered Girl in Douglass's Narrative, The Political Station in Douglasss Narrative of the Life and Emersons Self-Reliance, Bound by Knowledge: Writing, Knowledge, and Freedom in Ishmael Reed's Flight to Canada and Frederick Douglass's The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, View our essays for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Introduction to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Bibliography, View the lesson plan for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Read the E-Text for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, View Wikipedia Entries for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Explain how Douglass uses literary devices such as imagery, personification, figures of speech, and sounds to make his experiences vivid for his How did Frederick Douglass learn to read? <>>> They fell prey to the vices of humanity and exercised them without restraint: they were violent, blaspheming, capricious, greedy, cruel, intolerant, ignorant, exacting, merciless, and unkind. However, those with an awareness of the immorality of slavery saw Mr. Gore as being a truly cruel man. <> Using a simile, he likens slaves trying to curry favor with their overseers to politicians trying to win election. How is Douglass able to maintain his religious faith when the faith of his owners is used to justify their treatment of him? TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery. This quote was created to show the effect that slavery had on not only the slave, but the slaveholder. (one code per order). He is in disbelief at how the Anthony family could have forgotten her dedicated years of care and simply turn her out into the forest, alone and incapable of supporting herself. ;NwB}m K 9&%-8H>VQZ:3AAhND mgFs@ KHXz@pA$WUQo%q'^DA\.$q;=*m~&Ax? ~\C}CZ>~aa would have known if his mother had been present. Douglass criticizes the southern, romantic image of slavery by exposing the harsh treatment and sadness that slaves endured. Douglass does this to illustrate the illiteracy of the slaves. There is great irony in this passage containing the apostrophe: the inanimate boats have a freedom that a living, breathing man does not. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Douglass recounts his experiences and tribulations as a slave. From hearsay, he estimates that he was born around 1817 and that his father was probably his first white master, Captain Anthony. Here a worksheets and resources to help you teach or better understand this inspirational novel. In chapter six, Douglass described his involvement with his mistress, Douglass encountered multiple harsh realities of being enslaved. Of course, Christianity had been perverted, twisted, and altered by whites in the South (and the North) for decades. In Ch. You can view our. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass uses contrast, parallelism, imagery, allusions, and details to enhance the wickedness of slavery. Though Douglasss style in this passage is dry and restrained, Douglass devotes large parts of his Narrative to . Douglass's refusal to allow Covey to brutally beat him anymore constitutes the climax of the autobiography. slavery. He is trying to represent his helplessness by having a white man imagine being in his shoes. However, as time passed, the ill effects of the system of slavery began to blight her previously-virtuous personality. Slaveholders often hid behind interpretations of the Bible which suited and, they believed, condoned their behavior. I wish I could describe the rapture that flashed through my soul as I beheld it. 9, how does Douglass come to know the date? Douglass's goal in writing his narrative is to persuade the reader to stand against slavery and realize He writes: I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. In this passage Covey is figured as larger-than-life, as representative of slavery as a system. Douglass's story was not fossilized in text but was orally given hundreds of times. Douglass directs towards white men, let him place himself in my situation, he elaborates through parallelism by trying to make his audience imagine being without home or friends-without money or credit and wanting shelter, and no one to give it-wanting bread and no money to buy it. Frederick Douglass (1818 -1895) was born a slave but became a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He writes that he cannot escape their mournful tones and seeks to correct the erroneous assumption of whites that slaves sang because they were happy. However, he continues, saying and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself(ch. Douglass is a African American that was a slave and did a Narrative about his time being a slave and in his Narrative he threw light at the American slave system. Since he started from slavery, Douglass had adopted the motto "Trust no man!". His faith becomes like angels whispering in his ear and cheering him on to persist through the horrors of slavery because he is sure that one day he will be free. What is Frederick Douglass's overall claim in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass? A "spark" suggests that his spirit used to be a fire (connoting passion and vitality), and the fact that slavery reduced the fire to a solitary spark and then killed even that emphasizes how slavery can quench, or suffocate, the spirit of the individual. The most powerful tool that Douglass uses in his narrative is imagery, often shocking enough to make the reader cringe. %PDF-1.5 From that time until now, I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren - with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to decide.". Beyond the issue of slavery, Frederick Douglass speaks to the importance of using education and knowledge to experience. 9. stream 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. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. His rhetoric, tone, and sentiment are supposed to rouse the emotions of his 19th-century readers. When her husband forbids her to teach Douglass to read - citing Douglass would become unmanageable but also unhappy with such knowledge - Sophia's newfound authority over another began to corrupt her. To expound on his desires to escape, Douglass presents boats as something that induces joy to most but compels slaves to feel terror. He would at times seem to take great pleasure in whipping a slave. He was a cruel man, hardened by a long life of slave- holding. Wed love to have you back! I can never get rid of that conception. Douglas was profoundly sympathetic to his black brethren, those still in slavery and those free. March 3, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 DO Mr. 1 I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. In the excerpt of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave, Douglass discusses the horrors of being enslaved and a fugitive slave. 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. Not affiliated with Harvard College. The lesson plan as written does not include aligned rubrics or assessment guidelines to provide sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance. 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. Douglass upsets this point of view by depicting Douglass managed to overcome the maltreatment of his wretched slave owners through the eventual attainment of freedom. Given the multiple uses of repetition, antithesis, indirect tone shifts, and various other rhetorical techniques, we can see Douglass relaying to his audience the hardships of slavery through ethos, the disheartening times that slavery brings, and his breakthrough of determination to obtain freedom. More books than SparkNotes. He did not use his intellect, his body was not his own, he was devoid of happiness and hope, and he lost sight of his personality and individuality. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. like soothing and tender to re-create imaginatively the childhood he Douglass uses figurative language, diction, and repetition to emphasize the conflict between his emotions. http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/113/Grade%208%20Frederick%20Douglass%20Close%20Reading%20Exemplar.pdf. The loneliness overcame him due to the fact that he had no friends or family there. 2 0 obj Preface and Letter from Wendell Phillips, Esq. He belives that slavery should be should be abolished and he illustrates to the reader by telling his story. Pathos is also seen in his powerful words, phrases and mental images that stir up emotion. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Full Title: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave When Written: 1845 Where Written: Massachusetts When Published: 1845 Literary Period: Abolitionist Genre: Autobiography Setting: Maryland and the American Northeast Climax: [Not exactly applicable] Douglass's escape from slavery Thus, the encounter between Douglass and Covey forms the central moment of the text where Douglass is able to symbolically break free from bondage and become a fully-realized, autonomous human being - thus enabling his later escape. Douglass's aunt was not the only slave who was beaten, and Douglass was not the only child who grew up without a mother. stream 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular Here, Douglass becomes emotional towards the audience. 1 0 obj Until this point, Douglass had retained much of his individuality in the bonds of servitude. McKeever, Christine ed. The book challenges readers to see slavery as a complex issue, an issue that impacts the oppressed and the oppressor, rather than a one-dimensional issue. In the story, Douglass brings us back in time to show his experiences of the hypocrisy of human nature. 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. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Douglass recounts his experiences and tribulations as a slave. (Narrative 16) Mr. Auld "forbade" Mrs. Auld from teaching Douglass to read and write and made her "tender heart [become] stone". to be kept as slaves. He was an escaped slave who used that in his speeches as a topic to gain the attention of his audience. In "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. Latest answer posted August 21, 2018 at 9:25:03 PM. Figuratively speaking, Douglass likens his own dreams to the ships, and he is able to say that he wishes for his own freedom--he wants to be like the boats and have the ability to move about to follow his own desires. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a monumental work and a testament to the resiliency and beauty of the indomitable human spirit. Douglass encountered multiple harsh realities of being enslaved. This story represents confinement, slavery and the lack of power African people had in such a racist society back in those days. Local banker William C . $24.99 Who is Frederick Douglass' intended audience in his autobiography, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass? Please wait while we process your payment. endstream He firmly believed that he was no longer truly a slave after this episode. As a slave, he would have been often in chains and bands of the literal, physical kind. The Clifton Waller Barrett Collection ] CONTENTS Preface by William Lloyd Garrison Letter from Wendell Phillips Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Douglass recalls listening to them as a child and not quite understanding their depth of sorrow and meaning, but tells his readers that now he comprehends them and believes that they are able to invoke sympathy and arouse anger in their listeners. Douglass makes a claim that authentic Christianity's can be found in the black community, not the white. Douglass shows in Chapter I, which describes his introduction into Not only had she spent her entire life in shackles, she is now left to die alone, bereft of companionship and sustenance. To order a copy for 7.64, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call . I wish I could describe the rapture that flashed through my soul as I beheld it. on 50-99 accounts. With metaphors he compares his pain and creates vivid imagery of how he feels. Slavery is equally a mental and a physical prison. In chapter ten, Douglass uses pathos with his imagery and figurative language that provokes an emotional response. Southern slaveholders show more content In his Narrative, Douglass recalls being woken up by his aunt that was We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. In the second quotation (below), Douglass uses personification as well as a metaphor and a simile to describe his own attitude towards his slavery. Throughout this autobiography, Frederick Douglass uses language to portray the similarities and differences between the two sides. In fact, [He was] allowed less than a half of a bushel of corn-meal per week, and very little elseIt was not enough for [him] to subsist uponA great many times [he had] been nearly perishing with hunger (pg 31). Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery. In Baltimore he spent time out in the city, made friends, had enough to eat, and taught himself how to read and write. Sometimes it can end up there. Start for free now! The Narrative captures the universality of slavery, with its vicious slaveholders and its innocent and aggrieved slaves. Even upon realizing the evil around him, and despite times. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing themTo those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. This passage also suggests two of Douglass's abiding characteristics: his humility and his large degree of self-confidence. As a child, Douglass began learning to read and write with the help of his master's wife, Lucretia Auld. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!" Douglass had a premonition that it was not his fate to remain shackled in the South, and indeed, the events of his life clearly support that belief. The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass shows the imbalance of power between slaves and their masters. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. It could be because it is not supported, or that JavaScript is intentionally disabled. His audience was a seemingly sympathetic one and got to them through rhetorical questions. By clearly connecting with his audiences emotions, Douglass uses numerous rhetorical devices, including anecdotes and irony, to argue the depravity of slavery. Midway. Frederick Douglass went from being a slave into being a free man throughout the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and he used . owners distort social bonds and the natural processes of life in And in this essay I will talk about how Douglasss position differs from those who supported slavery and also I will be talking about How Douglass used his Narrative to share his position.