Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Book Review
📌Category: | Books |
📌Words: | 556 |
📌Pages: | 3 |
📌Published: | 23 January 2022 |
In Frederick Douglass’s book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass chapters III through IX Douglass speaks about growing up as a slave and the cruelty he often faced at the hands of others. He begins with his life at Colonel Llyod’s plantation where he not only witnesses horrors but experiences them as well, such as being whipped and starved. He then is relocated to Baltimore where he is taught by his mistress to read for a short time. Only to have that one act of kindness be stopped by his master. Through his knowledge or reading, however, he grows resentful of his destiny to be forever a slave and resolves to run away. These chapters highlight how dire the consequences of giving “irresponsible power” can be.
In chapter IV Douglass introduces Mr. Austin Gore, Colonel Lloyd's new overseer. Mr. Gore originally only had control of a few slaves but was promoted after Mr. Hopkins was fired for being too “soft” on the slaves. As soon as Mr. Gore is given the power of overseer; he is insatiably cruel to the slaves. Often whipping them for no reason at all. He even goes as far as murdering a slave named Demby for not listening to him, “[he] raised his musket to his face, taking deadly aim at his standing victim, and in an instant poor Demby was no more”(Douglass, 1845, p. 346). He is not punished for the murder and goes on to be a “successful” overseer for many years to come. Although power might not be the sole reason Austin Gore was so evil it did amplify his depravity. He took the power he had and lorded it over others. In these chapters Douglass seems to use Mr. Gore as the biggest example of cruelty, he seems to use Mr. Gore (as someone to compare others' cruelty to.)
A further example of the power amplifying or even in this instance creating cruelty is with Douglass’s mistress in Baltimore, Mrs. Auld, in chapter V. Although at the beginning of his time with her she teaches him how to and is kind to him that is quickly stopped by her husband, and her descent into cruelty begins. As Douglass states himself “The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands”(Douglass, 1845, p. 351). His word choice, “the fatal poison” indicates that he believes that Mrs. Auld was helpless to her corruption and that it was inevitable. As if all people who are given this type of power are bound to in some way or another become corrupted by it. At the beginning of his time with her, he describes her as having a face “made of heavenly smiles”(Douglass, 1845, p. 351). Not much later however he describes her face as being “made all up in fury”(Douglass, 1845, p. 353). This abrupt change in attitude and appearance highlights how quickly the power of owning another human being can corrupt even “kind” people.
Douglass highlights in these chapters the influence of power, whether it be to amplify already existing cruelty or corrupt existing kindness. In some ways Mrs. Auld’s sudden cruelty was more upsetting and jarring it seems to Douglass than Mr. Gore’s cruelty was. Mr. Gore was never kind initially, he punished slaves severely and unfairly from the very beginning. Mrs. Auld however was kind initially and then became cruel. Her act of cruelty to Douglass could be seen as a betrayal. Through Douglass’s word choice, storytelling, and use of juxtaposition he sheds light on the debasing power that unchecked power has on humans and the consequences of said power.