Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

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Summary: Could this the most important American autobiography ever?
Review: "Keep the black man away from the books, keep us ignorant, and we would always be his slaves... Come hell or high water - even if it cost me my life - I was determined to read," wrote Frederick Douglass.
This fiery autobiography, written as anti-slavery propaganda, told of his struggle to gain freedom, identified his "owner", and became a 19th century antional bestseller. Long before Uncle Tom's Cabin opened the eyes of sentimental Northerners to the evils of slavery, Douglass' chronicle inspired the small abolitionist movement and challenged the conscience of the United States to live up to the heroic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence... "all men are created equal."
The publication of this masterpiece also forced Douglass into exile in England for two years to avoid capture by slave traders. British supporters eventually "purchased" Douglass allowing this great American to return to the United States and live in freedom.
While the battle against slavery was won almost 150 years ago, this autobiography's remains a very powerful tool against racism, ignorance, and historical amnesia. This book should be required reading, for all American schoolchildren, in the middle school and excerpts should be constantly used in high school and college courses. Adult literacy centers should find this story a powerful inspiration too.

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Summary: A damning Tale of Evil in America
Review: This is a difficult book to read because the evil that slavery entails. The oppression of anyone is an evil that must be overcome. Frederick Douglass displayed a remarkable courage in learning to read and write to finally overcome the horror of slavery. I appreciate his observation on the religious hypocrisy of the South. It was telling that religious slave owners were always the worst. Of course since religion helped breed slavery in America this really should not come as any surprise. I have great admiration for the founders of this country but I also feel that the evil and hypocrisy of slavery should be exposed. It is an ugly passage in American history that must be addressed. This book should be read by high school kids in every high school in America--make that every American period. Frederick Douglass deserves to be recognized as a great American and this book is essential reading for any American.

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Summary: JAMIN BIO!
Review: Wow! This has got to be one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Douglass gives one a great idea of the struggles he went through while he was a slave and trying to runaway. If you want to know more about slavery then this is the book to read.

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Summary: Revealing
Review: A prime subject of debate before the Civil War seems to have been the nature of slavery in the South. Northern abolitionists would shoot rhetorical darts concerning the ineffable cruelties done to slaves at the hands of Southern slaveholders; Southern Confederates would fire their own salvos in return, telling stories to show that the abuses did not outweigh the general decency of the system. In this autobiography, Frederick Douglass weighs in heavily with the abolitionists, laying bare the barbarity and brutality of his experiences with slaveholders in the South. Tracking his life from the ignorance of childhood, to his growing awareness and education, to his final escape, Douglass makes his opinion plain: It is not only the South's particular form of slavery which is savagely corrupt - the system itself is despicable at its core.

My college assigned me this book to read, suggesting I watch for two things: the relationship of Christian faith to his life and to that of his masters, and the role of education in his journey toward freedom. In regard to the first, Douglass actually says surprisingly little about how his faith sustained him throughout his captivity. A few brief mentions are made here and there about how Christianity strengthened him during his trials, but the vast majority of his remarks on Christianity addressed the viciousness it seemed to inspire in his masters. In his experience, pious slaveholders were more cruel and malicious than unbelievers. Indeed, one of his worst masters was reverend of a local church. Douglass explains that while religion is well and good in its proper state, the corruption of the Southern version of Christianity was unpardonable, a religion where piety begot brutality, and faith sanctioned savagery.

In my reading of this narrative, Douglass' primary hope was not in Christianity, but in education. Throughout the book, he explains the various devices slaveholders used to keep their slaves from getting religion, or getting reading and writing, or getting knowledge of current events. He shows that the Southerners knew exactly what they were keeping from their slaves - the very tool by which they could gain liberty, humanity, and freedom. Douglass traces his tortuous trials in learning to read and write, and then shows the invaluable benefits he received from these. A good education is one of the greatest and most liberating things a person can get, and Douglass' narrative drives this point home hard and clear.

This book is a worthwhile read. Engaging and well-written, this narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass fascinates and informs. It illustrates the cruel treatment he, and by extension many other slaves, received at the hand of Southern slaveholders. It shows how a barbaric form of Christianity inspired some of these cruelties. And it shows how education delivered Douglass from the hands of his oppressors. Read it as a history. Read it as a story. But by all means, read it.

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Summary: Frederick Douglass review
Review: I enjoyed "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", but would not necessicarily recommend it to a person or class. I appreciate the perspective that I gained from encountering his life story, but I was never really entertained or enlightened. The story was more depressing than happy, and large parts of the story were left out for his safety reasons. Allow I respect that, it does have an effect on his account of the escape. I would say that overall this book is pretty good, but just doesn't connect for me.

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Summary: The very best autobiography I have ever read!
Review: I knew very little about Frederick Douglass when I first set out to read his autobiography. We had to read three or four chapters for our American Literature class. But when I saw the size of the book I didn't think it would hurt to just go ahead and read the whole thing. I'm glad I did.

When you ask the layperson who Frederick Douglass was the answers you usually get are runaway slave, orator, abolitionist, and the like. Are these accurate? Yes. But try this one:

American Hero!

We usually think of Benjamin Franklin as the ultimate self-made American. But it was actually Frederick Douglass. Yes, Franklin started with virtually nothing and worked his way into financial and professional prosperity, finding success in a variety of fields. But Frederick Douglass did the same thing, except he started with absolutely nothing but the rags on his back. (He didn't even start out with his freedom!) He risked his life to prove that a free man is the best man. Even as he wrote his autobiography, he refused to mention the details of his escape, fearing that it would jeopordize the possible escapes of other slaves.

One of the things that I found very disturbing in this book (there are many disturbing passages in this book) was the fact that of all the slaveholders he had to contend with, the most brutal of all were the ones who claimed to be Christians. (I'm glad that Douglass was himself a strong enough Christian to not be misguided by those pious hypocrites.) One of the saddest passages in the book is as follows:

"Were I to be again reduced to the chains of slavery, next to that enslavement, I should regard being the slave of a religious master the greatest calamity that could befall me. For of all slaveholders with whom I have ever met, religious slaveholders are the worst. I have ever found them the meanest and basest, the most cruel and cowardly, of all others." (Page 85, Signet Classic)

This was a very controversial statement made not by someone who gets his kicks from mocking Christianity, but by someone who has experienced, first-hand, the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ but then had to suffer at the hands of people who claimed that their "love" for Jesus Christ gave them license to brutalize and torment any under their charge.

I believe that Douglass knew the dangers of going public with this information. I believe he knew of the possibilities of his being returned to a state of slavery - whether it be through political unrest and upheaval in the North, or kidnapping, or any possible way. I believe that he knew that there would be people in both the South and the North who would want to see him dead because of what he was saying.

This is why I call him an American hero.

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Summary: Frederick Douglass Review
Review: This book starts off with Frederick Douglass basicly introducing himself. He told about his childhood, and what it was like to be a slave, he told about some of the brutal things he witnessed done by his master to older slaves. Frederick Douglass did not know too much of his mother and only recalls seeing her an estimated 10 times in his whole life. "For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder development of the child's affection towards its mother and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child." His father was a white man and it was rumored that it was his first master, Captain Anthony. When he is young he gets moved to the "Great House Farm," this is where Douglass experiences the harshness of slavery, always being cold and hungry.
At the age of about 7 or 8 Douglass is moved to a new master in Baltimore. His new mistress in Baltimore treats him very well and starts to teach him how to read. When his master learns she is doing this, he rebukes and changes her into a different, more cruel person. At first she treated Douglass as she supposed a human being ought to be treated, then Mr. Auld told her of the danger of educating a slave. " Slavery soon proved its ability to diverst her of these heavenly qualities. She now commenced to practice her husbands precepts." Despite Mr. Auld's efforts, it was too late, Douglass was determined to learn to read. When Douglass becomes good at reading and gaining knowledge it started to bring him misery, he learns about liberty, justice and truth. He soon makes the decision that he will someday attempt to escape to freedom. Douglass also teaches himself to write, for who knows, he may write a book some day!
After the death of his master, Captain Anthony, he eventually ends up living with Captain Thomas Auld. Life is more difficult for Douglass with Captain Auld. Captain Auld believes that Douglass was spoiled in the city life and this makes him even harder on Douglass. Captain Auld decides to send Douglass to Mr. Covey, who has a reputation for being a "nigger breaker." The first six months here were the darkest days of his life, recalls Douglass. Here, Douglass is overworked and beaten regularly. One day after being beaten badly, Douglass seeks help from Master Thomas, only to be sent back, but on his return Douglass decides he will not be beaten without retaliation. The next time Captain Auld tries to beat him it turns into a two hour fight, and after that Captain Auld didn't beat Douglass again. After working with Captain Auld, Douglass is sent to work with Mr. Freeland, a fair, respectable master in Douglass's opinion.
Douglass soon becomes restless, he knows he is meant for more than being a slave. He is sick of being treated like a dog, or even worse at times. "By this time, I began to want to live upon free land as well as with Freeland; and I was no longer content, therefore, to live with him, or any other slaveholder." It is here that Douglass makes his escape to New York. Douglass struggles with having to leave his friends and loved ones in Baltimore. On September 3, 1838, Douglass succeeds in reaching New York, at last, a free man. Not too long after, he marries Anna Murray, a free black woman.
I think this novel was very well written. It was very impressive how Douglass could write so well for not having a proper education, having had to teach himself everything that he knows. He also had a knack for keeping his autobiography very exciting and random, you never know what will happen next, and this is impressive for his own life story. I know if I had my own life story, people would have to drink a lot of coffee to stay awake through it. I am having a hard time thinking of anything bad or that did not work with this novel, it was very well written and fun to read. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants a good read. It gives a lot of insight to life as a slave and is not just a boring story of some guy's life, he lived a very interesting life and anyone could learn from his experiences. I often find myself thinking about other things while I read but during this book it kept me focused and on task at all times.

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Summary: Cliff's Notes of "My Bondage, My Freedom"
Review: While this book is a good one, it is merely a smaller version of Douglass' more substantial work, "My Bondage, My Freedom". This one, however, does contain the more inspiring, more breathtakingly amazing accounts of the trials of Douglass' life.
If you are interested in Douglass, check this out. If you are already a fan of Douglass and his amazingly inspiring story, buy the larger volume. Both will move you from within and inspire you to be a better person.

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Summary: The evils of slavery from one man's perspective.
Review: If there are any doubters about the evils of slavery, read this book. I have heard it said by some white Southerners that slavery benefited the black population, and furthermore blacks were better off in the United States than in Africa. Slavery was evil and this book proves it.
Douglass points out how slaveholders killed and mutilated their own slaves, and nobody did anything about it. When a slave outlived his/her usefulness, the slaveholder often cast them off, so they did not have to feed and clothe these slaves. Slave families were often broken up for the benefit of the slaveholder. Wives and husbands were separated. Slaves worked long hard days and then had to turn over their pay to their slaveholder. If slaves tried to educate themselves, the slaveholders would break up their classes and then punish those seeking the education. Same with those seeking comfort from the Holy Bible. Those slaves were punished.
The question was did slavery benefit the black slave population of the South. The answer is a resounding NO. Douglass does a good job of detailing the hell of slavery.

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Summary: To Be Made Inhuman
Review: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" is without question the most important slave narrative penned in American history. Frederick Douglass put to paper what so many former slaves were unable to: the destructive institution that was slavery.

Douglass's account of slavery is very similar to Alexander Solzhenitsyn's account of the Soviet gulag system in "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich". It is very similar in that the protagonist of each account does not have, by comparison with his fellow sufferers, a hard existence. Douglass points out that, but for a brief stint with a 'slave-breaker' and another brief stint with a drunken master, he largely escapes the brutal whippings and degradations of most slaves. However, we still get a sense of the dehumanizing effect that slavery had on him, which is a far greater injustice than any physical punishment.

It is in the comparatively easy existence that Douglass had that we see the true evil of slavery. If that was the best a slave could hope for, to not be whipped or underfed or cursed or killed for no good reason, then surely the institution of slavery was not to the benefit of the slave, which is what most pro-slavery advocates claimed.

Douglass did as much as any person to make people take notice of the evils of slavery and how it was destroying the country. His "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" is his greatest effort in the crusade of abolition.