Slavery In The Narrative Of Frederick Douglass

The novel The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass himself, has become a classic novel that well known for the black’s movement towards freedom. Douglass makes it clear in the Appendix that one of the purposes of the narrative was to expose the reality and harsh images of slavery and well as the cruelty of slaveowners and overseers towards black people. Another purpose for writing the narrative was to debunk the mythology of slavery by exposing the reality and cruelty of slavery, turning the narrative into a testimony against the belief of black intellectual inferiority, and by revealing the disloyalty among slaves. Many white people, who were not slaveholders, had a romantic idea of the concept of slavery. To these …show more content…
Slaves got opportunities to make their lives better or have the chance to escape and get their chance at freedom. Some would see their fellow slaves make plans to escape and jealousy became the cause of their disloyalty. Slaves became jealous of each other for getting a better life than other slaves, and the ones who did not have a chance to get their freedom thought it was unfair that they did not get the same advantages or opportunities by their slaveholders. In the second half of the narrative, Frederick Douglass made plans to escape with some of his fellow slaves while on the plantation working for Mr. Hamilton. Douglass had already made all the plans and wrote passes for those who were planning to escape. On the day of their attempt at a life of freedom, Douglass was on the plantation with all of the other slaves. He turned to another slave and said that he “was overwhelmed with an indescribable feeling...and said, "We are betrayed!” (Douglass ). A few moments later, sheriffs arrived and many were arrested for attempting to escape. After seeing free slaves struggle with finding jobs and providing for themselves after getting their freedom, other slaves thought it was best that they remained a slave. When Douglass first travels to Baltimore, he notices that he was very well “fed and clothed, and enjoy[ed] privileges” (Douglass ). Slaves knew that if they remained a slave, they were guaranteed food and shelter every night whereas if they tried to run away, it was no guarantee they would get a job and that it would be hard to provide for themselves. Slaves remained on the plantations out of fear that they would have a harsh life without anything