Frederick Douglass Speech Analysis

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Frederick Douglass was born as a slave and spent his first twenty years of life in slavery. He learnt to read and got the chance to meet free African-Americans and these gave him a push to look for the way to become free. Douglass had to give all his wages to his master, Hugh Auld. Only from time to time Auld gave Douglass back small amount of money. This did not help the situation and Douglass still felt that such distribution of his money was unfair. Finally, he persuaded Auld to give him the opportunity to find work for himself. Auld agreed and Douglass was obliged to pay three dollars each week for food, shelter and clothes. Such agreement gave Douglass partial feeling of freedom. Douglass worked like that for four months, but when he …show more content…
In August 1841, he was invited to take part in the convention to speak about his experience as a slave. He was greatly nervous to speak in public, but finally pronounced a convincing and emotional speech. During his speech Douglass condemned hypocrisy of people, who spoke about Christian values but, at the same time, possessed slaves who they keep in inhuman conditions and deprive of basic rights. This speech became the beginning of his social and abolitionist activity, which helped a lot of people to realize that slavery was inhuman practice. Taking part in the convention became important because it turned Douglass from a slave, who has escaped from slavery, into a fighter for rights of other slaves. This public speech made Douglass came into another level of realization of his role and responsibility in anti-slavery movement. He had negative experience of his own and this experience made him willing to ruin the institution of slavery. Douglass had his own experience, which turned him into a free man. He knew how education and inner freedom helped him to gain physical freedom. He also knew negative and ruining effects of slavery and had information to share with other people. Slavery is a shameful practice, which rudely violates human rights. Slavery deprives of dignity not only slaves, but also those, who believe that it is possible to own a person and make decisions about
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