Douglass Believes In Truth example essay topic

The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass In reading The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, I, like others, found myself to be deeply moved. The way in which Mr. Douglass walked me through each stage of his "career" as a slave gave me a better understanding of the African American slaves's trug gle. I realized in reading this mans story that he was a gifted individual and I pondered over where his strength came from? It is true and obvious that Mr. Frederick Douglass was an extremely gifted man, but with no mother or father to guide him, what motivated this man to accomplish his goal? For this man did indeed become free.

I believe that it was a combination of Douglass's personal traits: his observation, faith in truth, assertion, self-education, and brawn that helped guide him in the right direction. In my paper, I hope to present to you how Douglass used his personal traits to guide him and support himself in his crusade for freedom. My first introduction to Douglass's world of slavery was when he walked me through the scene of his Aunt's whipping. In this scene his Aunt Hester is getting whipped for sneaking out in the middle of night. I did not want to think that a human being could treat another in such a worthless way but after reading I was convinced that one did. Douglass tells of how the man striped this his Aunt of her clothing, which alone is so humiliating, and whipped her of skin and dignity.

In Frederick Douglass's words, "He then told her to cross her hands, he tied them with a strong rope, and led her to a stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose. He made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to he hook" (Douglass 259). Douglass remembered the hook put into the beam in the ceiling for the mere purpose of whipping his people. He remembered the cries of his Aunt for mercy". I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition.

I was quite a child, but I well remember it. I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything" (258). I wondered if I were this man, would I of wanted to remember such a disturbing episode? Douglass's long termed memory can be considered as both a gift and a curse; for to remember such acts must be disturbing and yet to remember also never lets one forget.

Douglass had witnessed some unthinkable acts of cruelty, during his life span but managed to use these negativities in a positive way. Douglass believes in truth, he has a certain faith in it. If he were to block these memories out he would not be true to himself. "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence" (273). He uses these memories of his past, of truth, as motivation to become a free man, to escape the making of future dehumanizing memories.

He believes in truth, that the truth will set him free from this pain; it will speak for itself. One example is when he read the book The Columbian Orator, it opened up the power of truth. "The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder" (278). He then establishes a hope that the power of truth (his memories) will help emancipate the slaves. For these events influence and inspire his future as a pre-eminent crusader against slavery as a speaker and writer. "From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and the spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom" (273).

As seen in this quote, Douglass was very assertive. He was a man that believed so strongly in something that he would stop at nothing until it was completed. In this quote you can see that even Douglass knew that he had to cheer himself through his gloom, no one else would be there to help push him through. He had no parents but only his traits on his side. His perseverance can be seen once again when he is determined to learn to read. When he is living with the Aulds' and the mistress is teaching him to read he feels like a human.

He feels an inner drive to want to learn; a curiosity. He realizes that education is knowledge and knowledge is freedom. It is then that he encounters one of the most useful arguments of his career as a slave. Mr. Auld is explaining to his wife why it is (in what he believes) dangerous to teach a "Nigger" to read.

"If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him" (274). With his observation and belief in truth, he took Mr. Auld's words and continued on his crusade. He now used another negative encounter in his life to motivate himself in a positive way. Not knowing exactly how long it would take or what the consequences may be, he was set on one thing; learning to read. This is when his long and tedious mission begins.

It would not take just one year or two, but yet seven years for him to learn to read. "Though conscience of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read" (275). It was not easy for him to teach himself to read. He did have some external help but it was very dangerous. This is where his brawn kicks in. He would go out on errands and meet the little white educated children on the streets.

He would ask them questions that would aid him in learning. With these meetings the children helped Douglass complete his mission. Moreover, his brawn was used to ignite his dimming flame for freedom. When Douglass got into the fight with Mr. Covey it was a high in his "career" as a slave.

He had beaten up his caretaker, a cruel man that was breaking him down like no other had before. The one man that was actually making him lose his assertiveness he beat and finally got to put into place. He again became determined to do something, to win, to conquer the enemy. Once again dedicated, he went at it with Mr. Covey for two hours and came out on top. He did not want to get whipped ever again, he rather fight against his holder, figuring both got some pain and bruises out of it. It made up for his six months of the worst living environment that he had ever encountered.

This fight gave him the boast that he so desperately needed. "It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free" (298). He felt like the man he had become and so wanted to be. This fight made him see that his journey for freedom had to be both physical and non-physical.

He had to defend himself not only with his knowledge but his brawn and he did have brawn. With this triumph over the enemy he stayed determined to fight for what he believed in. When Douglass is working on the shipyard and tensions start to build between the blacks and the whites, he does not run. He continues his job regardless of the harassment. When he begins to feel that the white men are going over the line, he takes action again standing up for what he believes in.

They were talking about him and then unreasonably putting their hands on him and that is when he struck back. Regardless of all consequences he followed his heart and his bravery glowed through, as he took on the group. "I, Of course, kept the vow I made after the fight with Mr. Covey, and struck back again, regardless of the consequences; and while I kept from combing, I succeeded very well; for I could whip the whole of them, taking them separately" (313). He wanted to fight them like any free man would have fought a battle. They all attacked him it was another negative encounter that he hoped to bring light out of. He then did not have to go back to work there again.

He gained a skill of chalking that would help him earn money and lead to his eventual escape from slavery. It was a combination of his personal traits: observation, faith in truth, perseverance, self-education and brawn that brought him to seek, attempt, and eventually succeed in finding freedom. His momentum for freedom came from internal instinct. These traits and his exposure to both human (living with the Aulds') and inhuman environments inspired him to resist the dehumanizing character of slavery.

His self-sophistication and success as a pre-eminent crusader against slavery, as a speaker and a writer is amazing to me.