Summary The Life Of Frederick Douglass - 999 Words

Kendall Short Dr. Andrew Engl 367 Sophia Auld When most people think about evils of slavery, they tend to only think about the wrongful treatment of the African American, and understandably so. However, in Douglass’ narrative, The Life of Frederick Douglass, he explains that there are other victims of slavery, apart from the slave, that often go undiscussed. Sophia Auld is an example of how the institution of slavery is as injurious to whites as it is to blacks because it adversely affects the moral health of slaveholders. When Douglass and Sophia Auld first met, he was â€Å"utterly astonished† by her compassion. Originally being a weaver and not owning any slaves, Mrs. Auld had been â€Å"preserved from the blighting and dehumanizing effects of slavery†. At first, she was very uncomfortable viewing slaves as lesser people instead of how she thought another human ought to be treated. Douglass even describes Mrs. Auld as having a â€Å"heavenly smile† and â€Å"voice of tranquil music† that put even the worst of slaves at ease when in her presence. When Sophia learns that Douglass does not know how to read and write, she kindly teaches him the alphabet and some small words. When her husband finds out that she has taught Douglass that ABC’s he is furious and forbade her from doing so further. Mr. Auld says â€Å"If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell† and explains to Mrs. Auld that it is dangerous and unlawful to teach a slave to read because it would â€Å"forever unfit him to be a slave†Show MoreRelatedEssay about Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass893 Words   |  4 PagesPublished in 1845, ‘Narrative of life of Frederick Douglass an American slave written by himself’ is still the most highly acclaimed American autobiography ever written. It was published seven years after Douglass escaped from his life as a slave in Maryland. 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In eighteen and nineteenRead MoreAn Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Essay1284 Words   |  6 Pagesof Frederick Douglass s NarrativeChristianity quite often, especially when associated to the system of slavery becomes even more of a contentious issue than it already is. In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass presents the theme of perversion of Christianity by slaveholders as a way to bring out the contradiction that lie deep within slaveholders adulterated interpretation of the belief system. In this paper, I will highlight these perversions that Douglass discusses