Sam Wang

My people have a country of their own to go to if they choose... Africa...

but, this America belongs to them just as much as it does to any of the white

race... in some ways even more so, because they gave the sweat of their

brow and their blood in slavery so that many parts of America could become

prosperous and recognized in the world Josephine Baker. Although she is a

French singer, it still speaks volumes about the truth of the situation. One

person was able to own another as property. Whites were allowed to do what

ever they wanted to their black slaves, with no consequence. Just like

Josephine said, slaves did give their blood. They were whipped to the point of

blood seeping out of their skin; for even the smallest mistake. The conditions

theses slaves were forced to live in were atrocious. Slaves were

dehumanized, and so they were treated as such. By reading Narrative of the

Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglas, the reader will understand

the heartbreaking truths of slavery because of the inhumane treatment

shown through his eyes.

With almost satanic cruelty, slaves are mercilessly drubbed by their

white overlords. Within the first chapter, Frederick talks about the first

beating he witnessed as a child. He describes the bloody savagery of the

whipping as It was the blood-stained gates, the entrance to the hell of

slavery (Frederick, 20). Slaves are beaten bloody for even the most minor of

crimes. But this is far from the last whipping he will see. On the next page,

Frederick goes on to depict the beating his Aunt receives on her naked back.

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It is said to be so deep that the blood oozing would not be able to cover the

scars it caused. The master whipped her because she was seen talking to a

man. But Frederick has not always been on the observing end. Much later in

the book, when he is working for Corey, he faces the whip for the first time in

his life. He gets whipped for having passed out from exhaustion while

working in the field. He had been working so hard for so long he physically

could not function anymore. His master did not care and punished him for it.

These three are just touching the surface of the cruel punishments slaves

receive. That is how reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by

Frederick Douglas, will make the reader understand the heartbreaking truths

of slavery because of the inhumane treatment shown through his eyes.

Slaves were treated horribly, and to make matters worse, they live in

terrible conditions. Slaves work from the crack of dawn all the way to

sundown. That means that they have to wake up before the sun to get ready

to work and go to bed well after sundown before they can sleep. Thus, a

severe lack of sleep was accumulated. They were not considered men, and

so were not given human rights. They are not allowed to sleep as that is a

privilege and not a right. But to add on top of that, they are overworked.

They do not give the slaves this time because they would not like to have

their work during its continuance, but because they know it would be unsafe

to deprive them of it. This will be seen by the fact, that the slaveholders like

to have their slaves spend those days just in such a manner as to make them

as glad of their ending as of their beginning (Frederick 71). The only day off

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they got a year is Christmas. Even then, Frederick Douglas describes this day

off as a prevention of an uprising. But this excessive labor is just adding

insult to injury by the fact that the slaves do not have to be paid. They know

this one day a year is enough to prevent an uprising. Making them work 364

days a year is just inhumane. Again being overworked is far from the last of

the reasons they live in a hostile environment. When they get their

allowance, the wives were given money food for rations. It is not nearly

enough to feed them comfortably, so they are in turn always hungry. That is

how reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick

Douglas, the, will make the reader understand the heartbreaking truths of

slavery because of the inhumane treatment shown through his eyes.

The fact that slaves are considered property is yet another way in

which slaves were treated inhumanely. Slaves are bought and sold on an

auction block just like cattle. Slave owners can purchase the life of another

human. This was no different than the acquisition of a new vacuum, as it was

an investment. But this purchasing of another person's life is because slaves

are considered lesser, and therefore dehumanized. And of course being

owned leads to inhuman treatment. Frederick Douglas tells a tale of horror of

a slave who thought he could be defiant. He was tired of being whipped, so

he ran into the river. Mr. Gore then, without consultation or deliberation with

any one, not even giving Demby an additional call, raised his musket to his

face, taking deadly aim at his standing victim, and in an instant poor Demby

was no more (Frederick 33). Since they are considered property, they are

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denied basic human rights. One of these rights is the right to press charges

against white people. Fredrick Douglas was brutally assaulted, by a white

person. As he was a still a slave, he went to his master and asked for

reconciliation. His owner went to a lawyer and was told there is nothing that

they can do. The judge would not allow him to press charges. This is yet

again proof of the inhumane treatment slaves reserve. That is how reading

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglas, the, will

make the reader understand the heartbreaking truths of slavery because of

the inhumane treatment shown through his eyes.

Frederick Douglas shows the reader how poorly slaves had it. Seeing as

they were property, they had no rights. They lived in a hostile environment,

had terrible working conditions and encountered abusive masters. These all

are inhumane. As humane is defined as having or showing compassion and

these actions are far from that. The fact that Fredrick had seen all of these

measures, it makes them more powerful and therefor believable. So I ask

you, hearing the horrors of slavery from the eyes of a freed slave, do you

think slaves were treated fairly?

Sources Cited:
Douglas, Frederick, and Houston A. Jr. Baker. Frederick Douglas: Narrative of
the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York, NY: Penguin,
1986. Print.