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dark
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
It is not very often that I start and finish a book in the same day. But, this was an EXCELLENT book and I highly recommended it. Obviously, this book discuss slavery in a first hand account per the title. But, there were many other things I learned and found interesting. Foremost, the importance of learning to read and write. The lady of the house where Frederick was a slave as a boy took it upon herself to teach him to read. She had not been long at her project teaching him a few letters when her husband caught her. As he scolded his wife in the presence of Frederick, he learned a valuable lesson. The husband said, "If you teach them to read and write, they will start thinking for themselves and won't think they should be slaves." From this point, Frederick used a number of methods to teach himself to read and write. In the long run, he did escape to the north and learned to speak out against slavery.
Bottomline, he is an excellent writer and tells a good story.
Bottomline, he is an excellent writer and tells a good story.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The moving eloquence and lasting impact of Frederick Douglass's autobiographical narrative leaves me thinking no study of early American history could possibly be complete without it.
Told in alternating matter-of-fact prose and passionately emotional poetry, it's no wonder Douglass played such an instrumental role in the abolition of American slavery.
As I read, I imagined reading this as a 19th century white American previously unacquainted with specifics of the manifold evils of southern slavery.... Phew.
A must-read indeed. You'll weep, but be the better for it.
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Content warnings: As expected of any work on American slavery, many heavy topics are covered, though none graphically, including rape, cruelty and physical abuse, violence, death of and separation from parents and grandparents, etc.
Told in alternating matter-of-fact prose and passionately emotional poetry, it's no wonder Douglass played such an instrumental role in the abolition of American slavery.
As I read, I imagined reading this as a 19th century white American previously unacquainted with specifics of the manifold evils of southern slavery.... Phew.
A must-read indeed. You'll weep, but be the better for it.
•
•
•
Content warnings: As expected of any work on American slavery, many heavy topics are covered, though none graphically, including rape, cruelty and physical abuse, violence, death of and separation from parents and grandparents, etc.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Read for Mr. Cohn's English III Honors class junior year.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Douglass's prose is impeccable. This is a small but immensely heavy book. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass should absolutely be required reading for high school and college curriculum in the US.
For anyone interested in understanding the slave narrative genre, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a great place to start. It shows the trappings of the genre in a clear, readable, and emotionally-resonate way. Douglass's criticism of the "upperground railroad," the many descriptions in other texts of the workings, mechanics, and practices of the underground railroad, is also fascinating. This criticism both explains one of the narrative holes in Douglass's text, and it reveals something interesting about Douglass's personality. Douglass, for example, casts himself as a reluctant public-facing voice of the abolitionist movement, especially when interacting with predominately white audiences. Suffice it to say, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a pillar of the genre and worth consideration for anyone interested in understanding the racial dynamics of the United States.
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Short, easy to read, and engaging. I realized I hadn't read many first-hand accounts of slavery and wanted to do so for Juneteenth. Hearing specifics as personal stories rather than mere statistics was a lot harder to swallow. I really appreciated Douglass's narrative, as well as his insights into the "slaveholding religion" of the time, and how slaveowning was a power that turned "good" owners evil. Really insightful and powerful. The appendix and parody at the end were