America today is known for the seemingly perfect opportunities for many people, many not even knowing what it is like to be abused, go without food, or without contact with a friend or loved one multiple times a day. It’s often hard to imagine what slave’s lives were like and how they coped with the most challenging times. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs discuss in their slave narratives, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and The Life of a Slave Girl, how they are able to find hope and comfort through the toughest of times. Through the harsh reality of slavery, slaves had the comfort of family, friends, and God to give them hope to one day have freedom. Having family is a large comfort and a small bit of an incentive for slaves
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Frederick Douglass does not have very many family members surrounding him in slavery, but he finds hope and happiness in small experiences, though still a slave. “Thanks to a kind Providence, I fell to the portion of Mrs. Lucretia, and was sent immediately back to Baltimore, to live again in the family of Master Hugh. Their joy at my return equalled their sorrow at my departure. It was a glad day to me” (951). Douglass is afraid he is going to be sent to a terrible and abusive slave owner, but is overjoyed to be sent back to his old owner, despite the fact that he is still in slavery. He finds happiness and hope for himself that he is with a familiar …show more content…
Readers can look back on these narratives and see what they truly found hope and comfort in, much like the people today. Family gives slaves comfort in ways of having love close and always someone to lean on. Friends are people along the way in the journey of slavery that slaves can go to and find refuge in the harsh world around them and find hope. God helps slaves know that He has a plan for them and that they should always have hope in the Lord at all times, good and bad. These experiences radiate with hope for a better future and help Douglass and Jacobs get to where they were and lead successful lives after
Frederick Douglass does not have very many family members surrounding him in slavery, but he finds hope and happiness in small experiences, though still a slave. “Thanks to a kind Providence, I fell to the portion of Mrs. Lucretia, and was sent immediately back to Baltimore, to live again in the family of Master Hugh. Their joy at my return equalled their sorrow at my departure. It was a glad day to me” (951). Douglass is afraid he is going to be sent to a terrible and abusive slave owner, but is overjoyed to be sent back to his old owner, despite the fact that he is still in slavery. He finds happiness and hope for himself that he is with a familiar …show more content…
Readers can look back on these narratives and see what they truly found hope and comfort in, much like the people today. Family gives slaves comfort in ways of having love close and always someone to lean on. Friends are people along the way in the journey of slavery that slaves can go to and find refuge in the harsh world around them and find hope. God helps slaves know that He has a plan for them and that they should always have hope in the Lord at all times, good and bad. These experiences radiate with hope for a better future and help Douglass and Jacobs get to where they were and lead successful lives after