About this title: 'I was born in Tuckahoe I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.' Thus begins the autobiography of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) who was born into slavery in Maryland and after his escape to Massachusetts in 1838 became an ardent abolitionist and campaigner for women's rights. His Narrative, which became an instant bestseller on publication in 1845, ...
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Edition: 2nd Edition
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books, New York
Date Published: 1973
ISBN-13:9780385007054ISBN:0385007051
Description: Very Good. No Jacket. 2nd., thus. photo illustrated front cover, clean, lightly rubbed, very light crease at hinge, no crease at spine. text clean as new, 124 pages. corners sharp, tight copy. originally published in 1845. nice copy for the student or researcher. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: New American Library
Date Published: 1968
ISBN-13:9780451141064ISBN:0451141067
Description: Good. No Jacket. Markings/Partial Sticker Inside Front Cover, Corners/Edges Worn, Covers Lightly Soiled, Spine Creased, Text Is Unmarked, Good Copy. read more
"This book is a heart wrenching tale of Frederick Douglass, as told through his voice. He explains the life of a slave who goes from being ignorant to his situation to being given the gift of literacy and understanding all too well that he was being oppressed. He began life as a slave, half white and half black, and eventually freed himself through means he refuses to explain.
The power of an education is the driving force throughout this autobiography. After learning to read Douglass was able to assess slavery and understand that this institution was unjust and unnecessary. Once he received the tools for a basic education he went to all lengths to learn more. And once he began to teach himself, he became one of the greatest orators of his time. He was unique because he was slave with rhetoric skill and writing abilities. He could be used as a beacon of hope for slaves across the nation.
Another common theme throughout this book is how racism is toxic for everyone involved. The slaves for obvious reasons, they were oppressed. But the whites gained a superiority complex and this deep set guilt that was overcompensated for with cruelty. It was unnatural to ensalve another human, and whether or not they believed it was correct - an instinctive part of them believed it was wrong."
"Douglass' humble re-telling of his struggle to freedom is the solidification of Black American consciousness: mainly, the need for liberty. Throughout, he remains respectful to the shining ideals that the country is said to be founded on, but scathingly critiques its hypocrisy in regards to slavery. It's a narrative that is inhibited by the morality of the time (the above-mentioned respect), but is still absolutely necessary as a work of liberation. Also, the book is a nice glimpse at the unsettled state of early America. In regards to Black consciousness, I often remember this quote:
"I have observed this in my experience with slavery - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom. I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is a necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.""
"Very interesting first hand account of the life of a negro male slave in the early 1800's pre-Civil War South. Frederick Douglass spent most of his young life on Maryland plantations, with a variety of experiences. The turning point of these early years was the opportunity to learn how to read from a plantation owner's wife. Through reading, Frederick is able to learn more about slavery and abolition. In this account of his life, we learn of the many hardships and brutal conditions slaves had to endure. Frederick himself was treated in a variety of ways depending where he was living. Near the end of the book we learn how he escaped to the North and his later years."
"This is the short biography of Frederick Douglass. He writes about his life as a slave, how his mother died, how he learned to read, how he was beaten and starved, and how he decided to escape. He enlarged on this story later, but in this version of the story, he doesn't give any details of his flight to freedom. But you certainly get a vivid and horrible picture of slavery. I thought his words about the religious hypocrisy of his former masters was especially illuminating.
After reading this, I was surprised really that more slaves did not make the attempt to escape. He says that he never had any idea of escape until after he learned to read and realized what else was out there in the world. That may have been one reason. Douglass himself says that he almost changed his mind when he realized that his escape would mean the loss of contact with all his friends. I'm sure that such ties to friends and family was another reason that most slaves stayed put.
After reading this, I was motivated to read more about Douglass and what happened to him after he wrote this book. He was a very eloquent, even passionate man fighting for the cause of freedom and equal rights for both women and for slaves. This is a great story for young people to read, as it would help them understand how brutal slavery really was. Also important today, when there are still horrible acts of violence and injustice all around the world."
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