Frederick Douglass: A Hero

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“There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more.” Remarkable people, the likes of which have never been seen in the world before. This is the most known and most beloved idea of a hero, those who do things we ourselves can never hope to achieve. Perhaps the one and only trait that is universally longged for, heroism is a mark of an admirable person, someone that can be looked to for answers and guidance in times of need. It’s someone who can always be looked to as a moral North Star, a beacon of light guiding you on your own path. A hero is by definition someone to look up to. They are the figureheads of a civilization, the very identity of a group of people. They show our beliefs …show more content…
Douglass was a slave who lived in the southern united states under a seemingly stereotypical cruel master, and what better way to show his own courage than when he fights back whilst his master is attempting to whip him: I told him "I did mean to resist, come what might;" that I had been by him treated like a brute, during the last six months; and that I should stand it no longer.”(Douglass 107). By revolting in such a way against his master, Douglass is taking a huge risk. If any of the other white men on the property happened by, they would surely aid his opponent, and once the fight has ended the punishment he may face afterwards may be extremely severe. If word of his revolt got out to the town, he could be captured and publicly tortured or even executed, but he still chooses to fight back against his master because he knows how unfairly and how cruelly he has been treated, and he will not tolerate it anymore. In this day and age, courage is often misinterpreted to be only fighting some great threat, or putting oneself in immediate physical danger, but Douglass was able to show his courage in very different ways: “By 1844 Douglass had decided to put these doubts to rest; he set down on paper The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which was published the following year; ten years later he would revise and expand his narrative as My Bondage and My Freedom, including a greater discussion of his childhood and family members.” (Kester-Shelton). While it may be confusing as to how publishing a book shows courage, it makes much more sense when you think about the political standing of most people at the time. Douglass was still an escaped slave when he published this book, so by doing so he opened up the door for his old master to send slave catchers after him, or for those around him to
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