Monday, November 20, 2006
Frederick Douglass
Katja
ENGL 48A
Journal # 17, Douglass
20 November, 2006
"At this moment, I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder." (Frederick Douglass 2059)
This excerpt is from chapter VIII of Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself first printed in 1845. An account of Douglass’ experience as a slave, and later as a free man, the text allows the reader a glimpse into the darkest corners of American life. Here, Douglass talks about how slavery affects not only slaves, but the slave-owners, too.
His recognizing that slavery has severe consequences also for slaveholders makes Douglass seem very humane; in essence the comment equalizes slave and slave-owner in that they are simply human with human needs, faults and desires. It is a benevolent view-point not often found, and not really expected in a former slave who has suffered at the hands of his fellow man. Douglass claims that the idea of slavery itself is the cause of the evil that visits upon slave owners; they are not evil to begin with, but become so through the societal and cultural expectations inherent in slave holding. This does also suggest that slaveholders can be reformed and converted away from the culture of owning slaves to a more merciful stance of employer.
Douglass asserts that slavery destroys all that is good in human nature and society. It masks the natural human bonds between people that are based in equality of need and promotes an inequality based in power. Slavery did not destroy only the lives of generations of Africans but also the lives of generations of new Americans. Additionally, slavery had effects of national importance; it divided the country and possibly prevented rapid American progress had the nation been unified. I think Douglass, who identifies himself as an American in the title of this text, grieves the loss of all that human potential most; all the things that the new nation could be but was not. Because of slavery, the country lost at least 200 years of potential nation building.
ENGL 48A
Journal # 17, Douglass
20 November, 2006
"At this moment, I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder." (Frederick Douglass 2059)
This excerpt is from chapter VIII of Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself first printed in 1845. An account of Douglass’ experience as a slave, and later as a free man, the text allows the reader a glimpse into the darkest corners of American life. Here, Douglass talks about how slavery affects not only slaves, but the slave-owners, too.
His recognizing that slavery has severe consequences also for slaveholders makes Douglass seem very humane; in essence the comment equalizes slave and slave-owner in that they are simply human with human needs, faults and desires. It is a benevolent view-point not often found, and not really expected in a former slave who has suffered at the hands of his fellow man. Douglass claims that the idea of slavery itself is the cause of the evil that visits upon slave owners; they are not evil to begin with, but become so through the societal and cultural expectations inherent in slave holding. This does also suggest that slaveholders can be reformed and converted away from the culture of owning slaves to a more merciful stance of employer.
Douglass asserts that slavery destroys all that is good in human nature and society. It masks the natural human bonds between people that are based in equality of need and promotes an inequality based in power. Slavery did not destroy only the lives of generations of Africans but also the lives of generations of new Americans. Additionally, slavery had effects of national importance; it divided the country and possibly prevented rapid American progress had the nation been unified. I think Douglass, who identifies himself as an American in the title of this text, grieves the loss of all that human potential most; all the things that the new nation could be but was not. Because of slavery, the country lost at least 200 years of potential nation building.
# posted by Katja @ 8:49 AM 
