Frederick Douglass

The Narrative of a Life by Frederick Douglass was one of the most marvelous black biography's in history that gives insight on the cruelties endured by slaves before the American Civil War.Taken from their homes in Africa, separated from their families, and taken into a new land, these people became one of the most prominent backbones in American society. One of them, had won their right to explore the wonders of literature and freedom. This young black slave was Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery with a black mother and a white father. He starts his life as any other slave, separated from his mother and under the hands of cruel slaveholders. This though did not stop the bond between mother and son. On late nights, his mother would travel a long and winding 12 miles just to let her son feel feel the warmth and comfort he needed after a long day of work, whips and slanders from their cruel master Captain Anthony. When he was seven, his mother died. No one was there to comfort him on those cold nights. No one to have hope with. NO ONE TO LOVE. Frederick Douglass spent his next years working for Captain Anthony and under the eyes of Mr. Plummer. A cruel and drunk son of a gun who carries his whip and beer all over the place while lashing the backs of poor souls open for no given reason. One cruel and unjust whipping told by Frederick Douglass is the whipping of his Aunt Hester. She was very beautiful as told by Frederick Douglass and had caught the lustful eyes of Mr. Plummer. It was said she had run off with another slave named Ned and was whipped for so. Frederick describes this as the most horrendous scene of cruelty he had every witnessed and until today there aren't any words to describe it. Mr. Plummer was drunk and had carried out his whip. He lashed open at Aunt Hester until he was fatigued from it at until the bloody drops of red streamed to the ground.Frederick was so very scared that he hid in the closet and from then on set out to end the cruelty's of slavery. He also describes the farms surrounding the great house. A whole orchard of apples and oranges surrounds the house and a fence surround it covered with tar. Anyone seen with tar on them is whipped even if they had never tried to steal the fruit. Colonel Loyd also has an impressive stable with horses and carriages. He has two caretakers named Barney and Barney J.R. The Colonel is very critical on the way his horses looked and any minute change in the way they looked, weighed or walked meant a whipping to Barney or his son. When Frederick turns eight, he is sent to go live with at the aulds which is Captain Loyd's Son in laws cousin or something. There he is treated surprisingly nicely and is taught to read and write by Mrs. Auld. When Mr. Auld finds out what she is doing he tells her to stop immidiatley. Mrs Auld then becomes very cruel and cold to Frederick and her whole person changes. This does not stop Frederick. He gives bread to boys in the neighborhood in exchange for tutoring on how to read and write. He lives in the Auld's home for about 7 years and then he is moved from slave owner to slave owner until he becomes free and helps hundreds of slaves become free.

My response: Frederick Douglass was a man of courage and compassion for his people. he was determined to change the face of our country by making all people equal. If Frederick douglass were alive today, he would jump in joy over the fruits of his perseverance. All people today are equal wether it be sex, race, skin color, height, or any other thing and that is the way it should be Frederick Douglass was great man and a Hero to everyone.