Frederick Douglass on Freedom

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

was very short in duration, and at night."(Douglass, 2) Additionally, this separation severs any emotional ties between the parent and child. It can be seen as a form of cruel conditioning by slave masters in order to produce workers who know nothing beyond their duties in the field. As Douglass speculates, the goal of the separation is, "...to hinder the development of the child's affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child."(Douglass, 2)

Consequently, after his mothers passing Douglass was indifferent to the news, and showed little emotional reaction. As illustrated by Douglass in his narrative, the death of his mother was no different to him than that of a stranger. As stated, "...I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger."(Douglass, 3) Though this reaction may seem callous, it is the inevitable result of the desensitization ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

robs them of any intellectual freedom.

Coupled with this lack of intellectual freedom, Douglass learned early on that as a slave he was not entitled to his own physical freedom. He witnessed how slaves were severely punished, and sold-off for trivial mistakes. Perhaps the most scarring event for Douglass was witnessing the whipping of his Aunt Hester whom was stripped naked and beaten for disobeying orders. As Douglass states, "I was so terrified and horror-stricken at the sight, that I hid myself in a closet, and dared not venture out till long after the bloody transaction was over"(Douglass, 6) Up until this point, Douglass had be shielded from such scenes and was not accustomed ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: