One of the most painful books I've ever read. How Douglass exposes the violent system that kept Black people in slavery for centuries is amazing. Beyond the autobiographical part of the book, which obligues the reader to empathize with the writer, Douglass’ analysis is right on point. The quest by the white supremacist system to keep Black people chained was cruel but elaborate: from trying to keep them in ignorance to over-exploit their slaves so they don't think about freedom, Douglass shows us that violence can manifest itself in many ways. Moreover, the fact that slavery was carried out by everyday people teaches us about the dangers of ideology.
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Such an influential book.
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"I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false and incur my own abhorrence."
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Every person ever should read this book. It's a heart-wrenching example of history and is still, unfortunately, very relevant today. The appendix is especially amazing and puts into words my thoughts about much of Christianity.