Frederick Douglass Slave Songs

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Frederick Douglass on aspects of slave songs

While I was reading The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, specifically the songs he mentioned of black slaves culture and history. I have found many important points that Identify and shows the aspects of the black slaves psychology and mentality about the songs they sang. First of all, we must know why the black slaves made these songs from the start, I believe they made them to please their overseers from beating them harshly, instead beating them lightly and maybe not beating them at all.
In a matter of fact, the black slaves were “selected to go to the Great House Farm” they thought it was a great place, to have the privilege of being chosen or selected for. Thinking they won some tickets to an amazing vacation in some tropical islands away from …show more content…
Moreover, reaching an extent where they started to “make the dense old woods, for miles around reverberate with their wild songs” resembling an aspect of denial, thinking they are lucky, revealing “at once the highest joy and the deepest sadness”, sadness of knowing they are still bound to be slaves, but they still cover it with these songs. Frederick Douglass, believes that, the black slaves were kind of pathetic to do these songs just to please their overseers and masters, because “all of their songs they would manage to weave something of the Great House Farm. ” This is what he thought was pathetic of them, “Especially would they do this, when leaving home. Starting to sing with most joy the following song “I am going away to the Great House Farm! O, yea! O, yea! O!”. Nevertheless, while I am reading it right now, I feel a kind of pity towards the black slaves, I know it might not be their fault, as it is the overseers and masters fault, I just despise the idea of them composing these songs in the first place, almost as kissing up to
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