TOW #25 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

            The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass spans from the time of Douglass’ birth into slavery until his escape to New York.  During his time as a slave in Maryland, Douglass experienced the various methods by which Southern slaveholders exert complete control over the slave population and he began to recognize that a slave must first gain intellectual freedom before gaining physical freedom.  To this end, he teaches himself how to read and write and also teaches the slaves around him as well. 

As he becomes literate, Douglass examines how slaveholders often used religion to justify their punishments.  Douglass recalls how one of his most pious masters quoted the Bible while whipping a slave stating, “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes” (57).  He reveals the faultiness of this logic by describing his own experience with Christianity and by making various religious allusions that argue against the slaveholders’ conduct.  Throughout the text, Douglass maintains a rather calm and academic tone despite the nature of the events he describes.  In some ways, his work is more effective than other abolitionist pieces because he recognizes that the horrors of slavery need no exaggeration.  While abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison utilized inflammatory rhetoric as a way to rile up the masses, Douglass relied on appealing to the logical and rational minds of the American public.  For this reason, Douglass’ autobiography is considered one of the most important abolitionist works of all time and is partially credited for pushing the United States to confront slavery during the Civil War.