blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass … I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld.” (Excerpt 1) Douglass wanted the people to understand how the slaves felt. He wanted to change the minds of people who weren’t against slavery. Frederick knew he could abolish slavery by speaking on behalf of all the slaves. Douglass’ audience consisted of Northerners who either supported slavery or wanted an end to it. Throughout the entire story…
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system corrupts the morality of slaveholders, effectively dehumanizing them. For instance, he describes the transformation of Mrs. Auld, a woman who initially exhibited kindness but became cruel under the influence of slavery. This shift from compassion to brutality illustrates how the system can warp a person’s character. Similarly, Douglass recounts the gleeful savagery of Mr. Covey when punishing the slaves. This highlights the perverse pleasure some slaveholders derive from their absolute power…
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Frederick Douglass also writes about how slavery can be evil towards the slaves. The slaves are treated less like people and more like animals because of the evils of slavery. Douglass explains how every slave is subjected to this punishment of corrupt slaveholders by writing, “Every city slaveholder is anxious to have it known of him, that he feeds his slaves well; and it is due to them to say, that most of them do give their slaves enough to eat. There are, however, some painful exceptions to this…
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The practice of slavery is dehumanizing in nature, and burdens the innocent with the cruelty and brutality of society. Frederick Douglass uses his narrative to emphasize the evil nature of slavery, which beheld the United States of America during this period of time. He describes the vile cruelty inflicted upon slaves by their slaveholders for common mistakes. Douglass stresses the horrors of slavery through his own personal experiences as a slave, and includes his reactions and emotions in connection…
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fathers, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., have faced this peril in the pursuit of freedom. In 1845, Frederick Douglass published Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, in order to do just that- to establish the truth behind slavery and advocate for freedom. In his narrative, Douglass uses diction, structure, imagery, and other…
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known with his previous masters. Slaveholders in urban areas were less likely to whip their slaves due to the close proximity of the houses; it was viewed as unsavory. Furthermore, there were fewer slaveholders in the Baltimore area than further South, and Douglass noted that his master’s wife “had been in a good degree preserved from the blighting and dehumanizing effects of slavery,” (pg.47) and was less accustomed to the attitudes that were encouraged of slaveholders. Therefore, Sophia Auld treated…
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right and then went on to tell his story to freedom in his book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Along with telling his story, Douglass also conveys two main points which include, slavery is terrible for slaves and slavery corrupts slaveholders. Frederick Douglass strongly believes that slavery is terrible for slaves. In excerpt 1 of his narrative, Douglass tells the story of his life as a child. He explains that his mother was sold, and because of this, he was only ever…
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device that allows him to vividly depict the honors of slavery and highlight the contradictions inherent in the institution. As a black man, Douglas spent the rest of his life as a slave. He mentions more than once in the book that he desires freedom. By juxtaposing the brutal reality of slavery with elements of freedom and humanity, Douglas appeals to his audience's compassion and moral outrage, forcing them to confront the injustices that slavery enforces. Through a careful study of Douglass's use…
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The Beginning to an End: The Fate of Slavery. The text Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War edited by Michael Johnson, is a timeline of writings and speeches by Lincoln. With the assistance of Johnson, we learn of the choices and decisions Lincoln had to make during his presidency. Conflicting with his own moral beliefs, he tries to use his knowledge to keep states loyal and people to the union, while also creating consequences for those deciding to go. During his presidency, Lincoln had…
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The Compromise of 1850 will not effectively solve the conflict over the issue of slavery because the compromise won't have everlasting effects on the North and South. Although the compromise brought a lot of victories and defeats among the North and South, both sides viewed it unfair. First I will discuss the North and why they view it unfair. The first notable compromise was when the Fugitive Slave Laws were passed. The North was mostly made up of abolitionists, so when the Fugitive Slave Laws…
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