Jalyn Olivas

Mrs. Carroll
Sept 13,2018
The Life of Frederick Douglass ​ By: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was a former slave. In the book he discusses what he

endured during his time as a slave and the treatment he received from working of
plantations. Throughout the book, “Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass” reveals his
theme of oppression by using and showing the important moments in each chapter,
repetition, and main powerful arguments Frederick further shows the theme of
oppression. He talks about The different forms of inhumane treatment he and many
other slaves endure for those to now see what occurred during that time period.
First, Douglass used different important moments within the chapters. The text it
states, “The wife of Mr. Giles Hicks… murdered my wife’s cousin, a young girl between
fifteen and sixteen years of age, mangling her person in the most horrible manner,
breaking her nose and breastbone with a stick, so that the poor girl expired in a few
hours afterward” (26,27). When Douglass states this he is proving how brutal
punishments included that you either would be killed or beaten. If a task was not
completed or not to the standards of his master, even if one could not control it then
there would be a punishment for the slaves. This then made them terrified of what was
going to occur to them due to not being able to work or do chores to standards.
Thus, repetition of the powerful arguments of beatings results in those seeing
what slaves had to persevere through. The reference to stepping out of line primarily
serves to call attention to how slaves were treated if they do not follow the rules. “He
was immediately chained and handcuffed: thus, without a moment’s warning, he was
snatched away” (23,25). This shows how for telling the truth about his master that he
was sent away and sold. For example on page 25, Douglass talks about a man who
was whipped and to soothe his pain he went into the water and refused to get out one
his master said it multiple times he had shot the man straight into the head. With these
pieces of evidence, Douglass is proving how slaves were treated and killed and sold
instantly like nothing. Due to masters having this harder towards the slaves it then also
portrayed to the treatment they would receive.
In conclusion, throughout the book, the narrator indicates the theme of
oppression by the particular nature of living in fear and torment resulted in those being
beaten, sold, and even killed. Throughout the book, Frederick Douglass continues to
show how the slaves were being treated inhumanely. Showing what they had to
persevere through to steer away from a horrible result of being beaten. Douglass talks
about all the murders, treatment, and what slaves had to witness and endure through
abuse and maltreatment.