Key Themes Of Frederick Douglas's My Bondage And My Freedom

In order to have a good understanding of the world around us and in society, one must have a basic knowledge of their surroundings. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, slavery was a thriving concept in the United States. Slavery was particularly prominent in the southern region of the United States from the boom of the cotton industry. Many people have told stories through the grapevine that have impacted those who have listened to the trials and tribulations that slaves went through during this dark period in United States history. However, some people who were slaves had the ability to give a perspective that most slaves could not give. Frederick Douglas was a knowledgeable freed African American slave that gave a strong insight into the lives of slaves in his book, My Bondage and My Freedom. In his narrative, Mr. Douglas revealed the truth about slave lives, the …show more content…
It is a narrative of his life experiences in American slavery, how he escaped, and began the fighting for the cause of freedom and helping others achieve freedom as well. Mr. Douglass explained several key themes in his narrative that still have a profound impact for those who read it today. One of his most profound themes throughout the book is based upon his continuing pursuit of seeking knowledge and educating himself in order to better his opportunity to become a free man. During this time, it was believed by most that slavery was a natural state of being. Most people assumed that African Americans were fundamentally flawed and could not belong in a civil society so they were used as workers for white Americans. The narrative goes into great detail on how slave owners used specific strategies to gain power over slaves. Ignorance was a common strategy used as a tool to gain this power. We will use the theme of ignorance as a tool for slavery and focus on how slave owners kept their slaves ignorant and in the