What Is Frederick Douglass An Abolitionist

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The book Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass is a very descriptive book that tells us and enlightens us about the struggles of slavery and the harsh circumstances they had to go through, the violent punishments that was brought upon them, and the unjust system of American slavery. Through all the detailing description and just the whole content of the book itself (written by Frederick Douglass), definitely falls into one of the most successful abolitionist literature. What is abolitionist literature? It is any form of literature written during the early nineteenth century in the purpose to express the disapproval of slavery through the description of some sort of slave narrative, explaining the struggles and ways of living for slaves, …show more content…
Though in his early life Douglass did not experience much physical pain, he did experience a lot of mental and spiritual pain through the things he saw as a child. He recalls one of his first experiences being the cruel punishment of his aunt Hester. She had disobeyed her master by not only going out but she was also found in the company Ned Roberts (another slave). She was then tied up by her master, striped and whipped until her blood came dripping to the floor, Douglass describes himself being so terrified at the scene that he hid himself in a closet until the bloody act was over. This completely takes away the human right of a person and a human’s freedom. He also describes in the book the lack of knowledge kept from a slave. It was the masters’ duty to keep their slaves ignorant as for to them not to know their day of birth. Slaves were also prohibited the right to learn to write or read, leaving them mindless of anything but their duties. This enlightens the evils of slavery by portraying a slave as nothing put a puppet of no knowledge or thought other than taking orders and serving its masters. Douglass also informs us about the lack of happiness of a slave and the reduction of their mental health. He explicates this by telling us about the singing slaves as they walked to the Great House Farm (knowing that they would only obtain a few other privileges). He explains the depressed spirit in the tone of the slaves and how a slaves singing only represented their unhappiness and sorrow hearts. Not to mention that holidays was also another way slaveries hostile brought physiological unhappiness to slaves as Douglass explained. He found holidays to be a gross fraud, wrong and inhuman, he described it as being a distraction in a way to shade the reality of slavery. The most disgusting situations of them all is the religious representation to slavery. He explains the
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