As a slave, Douglass was unable to learn how to read or write, education in general was unallowed. It came to the point where he wasn’t even allowed to know his own age, or birthdate. As exampled in Chapter 1 Page 1 “I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday” (Douglass P.1) These were the conditions that a slave such as him lived under. The rules or laws made sure slaves remained that of cattle. That they forever had shackles around their feet no matter …show more content…
Punishment was also highly accepted during the time of slavery. Slaves were seen as imperfection therefore punishment, slavery itself was justified. As said by Douglass in Chapter 1 “very different looking class of people are springing up at the south...and if their increase will do no other good...therefore American slavery is right” (Douglass). So, punishing slaves was justified as long as the slave wasn’t killed. Many slaves experienced whipping, even at a young age. When Douglass was a child he saw his aunt getting whipped. “ It was all new to me. I had never seen anything life like it before...lived with my grandmother... out of the way of the bloody scenes that often occured on the plantation” (Douglass P.4). Bloody scenes, deep cuts and bruises it was all the same. Slaves were cattle, they were punished until they couldn’t be recognized. It was fine to treat a human being like this, for surely as long as they didn’t kill them, they could be