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Frederick Douglass: The Horrific Experiences Of Slavery

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In this personal novel written by Frederick Douglass, he states his horrific experiences of slavery. Though met head on with the barriers of slavery Frederick never stopped dreaming of the opportunity of being a free man. This inner drive helped steer his way out of the harmful grasp of suppression and would drive him to become the iconic figure he is today.

Frederick was born on a southern plantation in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. It would be here where he was first deprived of what are to be considered human rights. During Frederick’s fledgling stages he could not recollect his date of birth, he was separated from his mother, and did not know who his father was. Although these are …show more content…
It was during this time period when questions surrounding the inhumane physiological mind games of slavery struck him. He rightly assumed that he was separated from his mother in order to the attempt to break the natural bond between a mother and her child. At a young age Douglass was even forced to see his aunt severely whipped. This event traumatized him as it would be a memory that would never fade away. Soon Douglass was sent to live with Mr. Hugh Auld at the age of eight. Here he experienced what it felt like to be treated as a human being. Frederick’s mistress shifted his world when she introduced him to the alphabet. Although the lessons lasted but a short while the invisible blaze of inclination to absorb knowledge would burn for the remainder of his life. Frederick stated how his master reacted when he found out. He stated “If you give a nigger a inch, he will take an ell.”(77). This forced Frederick into taking the matter of learning into his own hands. This had to be done with extreme caution, for if his mistress or master was to catch him he would be in tremendous trouble. After he was successful in learning how to read and write it was a matter of time for him to gain

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