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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Interesting and powerful to read. Having learned about the atrocities of slavery in school, it was nevertheless striking to me to read Frederick Douglass's own words describing his life and treatment as a slave and then free colored man. He is extremely eloquent in sharing how it felt to be a slave and to operate within this system. I found particularly interesting his appendix where he differentiates between "the Christianity of this land" and "the Christianity of Christ."
I recommend jumping to Chapter 1 and reading through Frederick Douglass's narrative and then going back to read the preface and letter that describe him as a speaker and abolitionist.
I recommend jumping to Chapter 1 and reading through Frederick Douglass's narrative and then going back to read the preface and letter that describe him as a speaker and abolitionist.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Very nice concise book detailing the experiences of Douglass as a slave in the antebellum South.
The description of a slave's life is oppressing and realistic. They are at the whim of their masters and are whipped and relocated at will. The account gives examples of working for different masters and describes in very human terms how they differ from one another. Douglass finds that religious masters in his experience are consistently more brutal as they tend to excuse themselves in some way or find Bible passages to support their brutality. Another interesting note is that he found that slave owners in the south had fewer material benefits than even middle class in some towns in New York.
All in all a very nice read, with extra points for shortness and style. A quick read makes it well worthwhile.
The description of a slave's life is oppressing and realistic. They are at the whim of their masters and are whipped and relocated at will. The account gives examples of working for different masters and describes in very human terms how they differ from one another. Douglass finds that religious masters in his experience are consistently more brutal as they tend to excuse themselves in some way or find Bible passages to support their brutality. Another interesting note is that he found that slave owners in the south had fewer material benefits than even middle class in some towns in New York.
All in all a very nice read, with extra points for shortness and style. A quick read makes it well worthwhile.
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Unexpected shards of this work: Mr. Douglass wrote this at the age of 27, seven years after escaping slavery. Most photos I've seen of him are at an older age, which might explain my assuming he wrote this later in life. The power and passion and plea of his words would be no less resonant if this were the case, and I'm not sure why the image of a young man writing them instead struck me to such a degree, but it did. Another unexpected shard: the nuances of his persuasion include not only this is what is being done to black human beings in your country; please do something about it but also and we feel it as strongly as you would feel it, were it done to you. That the latter has to be stated is haunting and heinous beyond words. What strength this man had.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced