Uncovering Frederick Douglasss Evolving Identity: From Slave to Abolitionist

Abstract

Student’s Name Professor’s Name 23rd April 2021 Discuss the theme of identity in Douglass’s Narrative. That is, who was the slave, Frederick Augustus Washington Bally, and how many identities did he adopt to become the Abolitionist Fredrick Douglass? Introduction The narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass portrays the identity of Douglass by illustrating his experiences as a slave where his external identity displayed traits of slavery while internal identity sought freedom for oppression. Slavery was a brutal system of tyranny that compelled African Americans to toil for white owner exclusion of any form of compensation and no authority over their existence (Douglass, 23). The brutal system of controlling the lives of another human being and work deprived slaves their self-respect, freedom and identity by diminishing their identity to possessions (Douglass, 24). The slaves gathered unbelievable bravery to find strategies of obtaining back their rights, dignity and individual identity (Douglass, 122). Fredrick Augustus fruitfully attained his freedom and became Abolitionist Fredrick Douglass to free every slave from oppression. Plantation Slave Plantation slave was the first identity of Fredrick Augustus Washington Bally. The plantation environment was characterised with blacks as slaves while whites as the owners who controlled over the lives and labour of black people (Douglass, 19-20). When young, Fredrick had observed the brutal character of his master while disciplining his aunt Hester. He states, “I have often been awakened at the dawn of the day by the most heartrending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip her naked back till she was literally covered with blood” (Douglass, 20). These experiences allowed him to recognize the injustices in the society. The attempts to establish his identity especially the day he was born and the whereabouts of the parents were hopeless (, 17). Thus, as a slave, they did not have access to such information connecting them to their Douglass identity. The white owners viewed the slaves as possessions and not human beings. He wrote, “We were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and women, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep, and swine” (Douglass, 49). The harsh treatment and identity made Fredrick think about his destiny which forced him to fight against Mr. Covey to symbolise the beginning of his struggle towards his identity as a man, (Douglass, 75). However, his unfruitful attempt to run away from oppression eventually led him to Baltimore. City Slave City slave was the second identity of Fredrick Augustus Washington Bally. He considered urban environment as an opportunity for future freedom. As a slave in Hugh Auld household, he was able to access education by the help of Sophia, Hugh’s mistress. According to Mr. Auld, “Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now… if you teach that nigger… how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master” (Douglass, 41). He realised that education can be the best way to improve the status his African-American people and took advantage of the fact that whites assumed blacks were...