MY BONDAGE AND MY FREEDOM
The book "My Bondage And My Freedom", one of Frederick Douglass's many biographies, attempts to put into perspective his views and experiences on slavery. Born in the year 1817, Frederick Douglass lived not with his mother and father like the white children of that era would, but with his grandparents. Living with them it was a long time before he knew himself to be a slave. As he began to mature in age and understanding he began to realize that the house and land he had grown to love, belonged not to his loving grandparents but to one his grandmother always referred to as "Old Master." Understanding this also brought the knowledge that his grandmother, himself and all the other children around belonged not to themselves as freemen but to "Old Master." Even through all this, still did he not realize what it meant to be a slave until around the age of seven or eight when he was carried to "Old Master's" plantation where he was to begin the labors expected of him. At the change of scene he was introduced to brothers and sisters he hadn't before met or seen. He was expected to treat them as long lost relatives he had once again discovered but to do this he would have had to know about their existence and spent time with them b
One of the many things in slavery that I believe affected him most was when his first master died and he had to return to Maryland to be counted along with the other properties that were to be divided amongst the master's two children. They were poorly fed, poorly clothed and their appearance seemed utterly dejected. His brothers and sisters did their best to help him get adjusted to the way of life he was now expected to live in but he was still a child and real labors weren't to be thrown on his shoulders for a while longer. One of the many things in slavery that I believe affected him most was when his first master died and he had to return to Maryland to be counted along with the other properties that were to be divided amongst the master's two children. Born in the year 1817, Frederick Douglass lived not with his mother and father like the white children of that era would, but with his grandparents. City slaves worked and associated with freemen and therefore their ideas of slavery were much different. He stood as human chattel, in great comparison to the animals at times even lower than the animals he stood beside. In describing this incidence, he begins by saying " I have no extraordinary personal hard usage toward myself to complain of, but I have seen him tie up the lamed and maimed woman and whip her in a manner most brutal and shocking. City slaves worked and associated with freemen and therefore their ideas of slavery were much different. His life as a slave and his eventual escape to freedom are all, interesting to say the very least. But I believe what grabs the most attention is his graphic and albeit downplayed account of the injustices and inhumanities of slavery. Christmas, the only holiday in which they were allotted some freedom was never really theirs. " Understanding this also brought the knowledge that his grandmother, himself and all the other children around belonged not to themselves as freemen but to "Old Master. Through out the experiences he puts to words in this book he does his best to be truthful to the period in which he lived. Through out the experiences he puts to words in this book he does his best to be truthful to the period in which he lived.
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Acceptance Essays
