WEEK SEVEN HISTORICAL BLOG ENTRY AND RESPONDING TO CLASSMATES
As you come across lines from the Autobiography of Frederick Douglass that seem noteworthy, write them here and make a short comment on them. (since we are looking for quotes, there is no word length requirement this week)
"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
Back then, slaves were not allowed to know their names and ages. While Douglass was a child, he was confused as to why he wasn't allowed the same privilege as the whites such as, being able to know your age.
" I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and , as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man".
In the book Frederick Douglass places a great deal of importance that slaves have to be tricked into accepting that they are slaves. since no person would accept being in that type of condition, there is only one thing masters can do and that is destroy the slaves mental state of mind.
"It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it."
This took place when he witnessed his Aunt Hester being stripped naked and whipped. He tries to describe his emotions of seeing it unfold before him, but fails to do so. There are no words that he is capable of writing down can quite get the point across.
" I have often been utterly astonished, since I cam to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slaves represents the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
People who were in favor of slavery argued that they were happy, stating the fact that they would sing while they are working. But Douglass is saying that this is not the case. slaves don't sing because they are happy, they sing because they are sad. The songs Douglass is talking about are called "sorrow songs".
Tyler, I like how you point out the only way these men could be pushed into slavery is to be tricked. This definitely gives a glimpse of how far the whites went to manipulate the blacks in order to keep their control. Even The little break they are given for Christmas to party is a way for the slaveholders to retain their power over the slaves.
Tyler, I like all the quotes that you find and I also like how you explain each. I see how far the slave owners went to manipulate their slaves. Also, that slave owners use physical and psychological methods to keep their salves under control. I think both of these methods were very efficient and cruel ways that the slave owners used.
Tyler, most of your quotes consist of the slaves feeling. your quotes give me the insight of their confusion on why they are treated differently than white and the horrible treatment some have witness on their own, for example the beating 'til death of other slaves. I liked your last quote because usually you expect someone to sing because they feel happy but in the case of slaves they sing because they are sad and its a way to get their feeling out. Through your quotes i am able to see from the perspective of a slaved person and i can honestly say they went through so much.
We will never really understand the horrors the slaves went through. We can get an idea of what they were facing through this reading but as Douglass says ""It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it." There was no way of really expressing what the slaves felt through paper. It was one of those things that could only be experienced by actually being there. Those feelings and emotions the slaves felt I feel are things nobody should go through.
Hi Yessica, yes that was one of the quotes that I was looking for the most because I always hear how people think slaves sing songs because they were happy, but in the back of mind I am thinking how can they be happy with how they were being treated? So I was glad to find Frederick Douglass take on it and as I read the book it made sense of what it actually means
Antonio, yes it horrible the lengths that they would go just so they can stay in control of them. The physical methods they would use are probably the most frightening to me, I can't imagine how hard it must have been to go through that and being treated as an animal
Hello Tyler, I concur with you interpretations on the quotes. It is inhumane not to allow a person to know the date that they were born, especially when there are small children under the age of five that know their birth dates and full names. Many slaves were adults but were given the respect of animals. Controlling another humans life is the job of no man but God.
"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it"(p.19). - I took this as a note because it just made me thing that slaves were really not considered people. What person does not know how old they are? His dad which was also his slave owner didn't even care.
"I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day"(p.20). - He speaks earlier before this quote about how his mother was and in the field before he could wake up. Its crazy a child couldn't even spend time with his own mom.
"...unless he does this, he must not only whip them himself, but must stand by and see one white son tie up his brother, of but few shades darker complexion than himself, and ply the gory lash to his naked back;"(p.21) - I could not imagine having a child and treating the child like a slave. What he says about his white son having to tie down and beat his brother that is only a few shades darker, how could he? To be hated or whipped by your own blood brother is crazy!
"I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness"(p.30)
- I feel like it was just plain ignorance for the people in the north to think that slaves would be singing their songs in happiness and contentment. Just by the way they're singing I feel that anybody can tell that the slaves were not happy. Also, why would any slave be happy with being a slave every day and night of their lives.
"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears"(p.30). - It is good that slaves found a way to keep their heads in a time and atmosphere that they were in. "The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart," it's sad, but a good way and almost the only way to be able to let it all out, without getting in trouble.
"I was not allowed to be present during her illness, at her death, or burial. She was gone long before I knew any thing about it"(p.20). - The fact that FD did not know his mother was dead for a long time is unexceptable to me. He wasn't there to witness her death either. This is more understanding to me because he was only 7, but he should have been able to know that his mother had passed on.
Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger"(p.21).
-FD barely was able to meet his mother because she was always busy with slave work. It's sad that his mothers death did not really mean much to him.
"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"(p.46). -This will probably be my favorite quote in the whole book. He is basically saying he rather be true to himself and be himself even though other people are criticizing and maybe hate how he is, than be fake and not be himself and be unhappy to make others happy. This is how we all should be!
I think Frederick Douglas was psychologically held captive more than physically. After growing up enslaved with such a rough upbringing and the atmosphere he lived in, watching people get beat to death and himself getting beat had to be rough. I'm sure not many people can come back from that and be able to live a normal life. It is sad what Fredrick Douglas and many others had to go through. After reading what I have in the book I feel like psychologically, Frederick Douglas was kept enslaved.
Melissa, when you bring up the quote of FD's mother I believe their was more to the reason she was unable to see him then slave work. It seemed it was done on purpose in order to take away that close bond of mother and son and replace it with master and slave.
Melissa I thought you chose very good quotes, especially in which he discusses not knowing his age and how it was common for all slaves to not know their age. To not know who their biological parents are if sold as a young child. And as Talia states it was take away that bond of mother and son and replace it with master and slave. I also agree with him having been psychologically held captive, all the things he had been through was traumatizing and it was never ending so it was just horrific scenes being played over again and wondering when he'll ever be free of it. Unless ending it through a quick death.
I agree Melissa. Douglas was psychologically enslaved because the pain and sadness he felt will always be there to haunt him. He even said in the book that the ability to think was a curse to him because he opened his eyes to many horrible things. He was never free from the traumatic feelings and scenes as oppose to physical which was only temporarily.
I completely agree with you Melissa. You had some really good points and some really good explanations. I also agree about what you mentioned about Douglas.
Melissa, I agree with all the quotes you have point out. Also, I like how you explain each of the quotes and what FD felt. I also agree that Frederick Douglas was psychologically captive than just physically, as you mention even after he grow up he still suffer from what he saw as a little child.
Melissa I agree with your quotes and points. I agree with everything that you mentioned about Douglass. You show some strong points and he was affected psychologically. Good job!
"By far the larger part of the slaves know little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant." “To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies foe my brethren in bonds.” “Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” “If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now, “said he,” if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, -- but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” “As I writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy.” “I have found that, to make a contended slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.” “I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance.” Throughout the book when I began picking out these quotes I started to see the many ways slaveholders kept control of their slaves. It was not just the fear of the whip it was also the ignorance to know that there was no reason they should be treated any different than the whites. Fredrick Douglass seemed to be stuck in slavery because he had no certainty that it would ever change. That he would forever be destined to be a slave and escape would only be temporary. The free thoughts of slaves were suppressed and their whole lives distorted to keep them compliant.
Forgot to comment on each quote...here you go Quote 1: In this quote FD is already stating that slaves are like farm animals showing they aren't even equivalent to whites. Quote 2: FD explains how the way the slaves could deal with their awful situations was by singing. And he always associate the pain with these songs. Quote 3: It's unimaginable how separated from FD was from his mother that he took her death the same as he would a stranger. Quote 4: In this quote it shows how much slaveholders attributed ignorance as the way to control their slaves. Quote 5: FD explains how painful knowing about his situation is because of the knowledge he gained. Quote 6: Thoughtless slaves are easier to control then the ones who have thoughts. Quote 7: FD explains that while he was younger he did not feel he was prepared to take on the dangers of escaping from slavery.
Hello Talia, Its sad how slcvaes were treated just like animals were, if not even worse. Whites thought they were superior to them and treated them unfairly. Its sad how they also wouldnt allow them to know how old they were or when their birthday was. They would make them feel as if they were unworthy of living.
Talila, It is really sad to see how the slaves were being treated before. I think that no one should be treated like animals, but during that time that is just the way the white man thought and felt. during that time in society it was acceptable.
"I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday" After reading this it really surprised and shocked me. It never occurred to me that the slaves did not even know their own age. People celebrate their birthday to celebrate their birth into the world. Not having any knowledge of your birth date because it is purposely withheld is like saying your very existence does not matter. Something simple as knowing one's birthday allows a person to feel like their existence matters, and the slaves did not have that. It brought about a feeling of sadness when I read this section.
"It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass...I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it." Frederick Douglass' description of his first time witnessing someone being whipped is frightening. He himself is at a loss of words to describe his own feelings of the incident. As I read on I find it disgusting and horrible that the men doing this actually took pleasure in doing so. It makes me wonder how people where able to ignore and act like this treatment towards another human being was normal.
"The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my check." This quote is said regarding Douglass' memory and feelings towards the songs the slaves would sing. I feel this is an example of the lingering psychological damage Douglass carries with him throughout his lifetime. He even cries thinking back on the depressing songs that were sung. In the North, people would mistake these songs for "contentment and happiness." When in reality it was far from that.
Hi Anna, I thought that the quotes you had chosen were great especially having mentioned how Frederick Douglass had dealt with his own personal psychological damage. It wasn't just physical damage, and thinking back about the truth that was behind the songs that were sung and how unaware people were of their true meanings.
Hello Anna, as i was reading your quotes you pointed out some great points about how disgusting and horrible people were to slaves. This should not have ever happened. You had some good points and your points made me feel how the slaves felt back then. I really enjoyed your reading.
Hey Anna, i think you are right that Douglass is psychologically damaged. I think what kept slaves in slavery is their lack of being able to learn and advance. If you keep someone uneducated they won't know their own worth, holding them back from what they could be.
Anna, Douglass was definitely emotionally and psychologically damaged and scarred for his life. The things he saw could not be erased and I can not imagine what it would be like. The crazy part is to think that all we get to read is the bits and pieces of his life in this story but yet there is so much more to it. More hurt and pain then we could ever imagine or even try to place ourselves in his shoes.
It is hard for people who are not slaves to really understand the struggles a slave faced everyday. A perfect example of this was the songs the slaves sung. These songs had two completely different interpretations between slaves and free people. I can only imagine how slaves felt when people would praise the songs they sung when to them they brought nothing but sorrow.
Hey Anna, I completely agree with you, in my family, birthdays are so important. The fact that the slaves had absolutely no idea when there birthday was, is heartbreaking. I also cannot imagine going through everything Douglas went through. Great job on the quotes.
Hi anna, I know it really is sad to see that people don't even know how old they are. People back then are so harsh on the slaves from treating them very poorly. But as mentioned above we do not understand the struggles of the slaves.
“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.” - Frederick Douglas explains how all slaves did not have any recollection of their age, nor were they allowed to know. Slave owners had felt that it was important for their slaves to stay ignorant and to stay obedient and well behaved in order to avoid punishment from the master’s. “I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me in the night. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone.” - In the narrative of Frederick Douglass he points how common it was for a mother and child to be separated when the child turns twelve months old and sold in which the purpose he didn’t entirely understand but maybe for both to lose affection for one another and just continue and being an empty, meaningless life as a slave. Yet, I found it interesting that FD’s mother still made the time to visit him when he as a child. “She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my master’s farms, near Lee’s Mill. I was not allowed to be present during her illness, as her death or her burial. She was gone too long before I knew anything about it. Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” - I feel that this here is just more in depth of how slave holders would separate their slaves from their loved ones in order to strip away any feelings that they have so that it will keep them focused on the work they were assigned to do. “ They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep; for when their day’s work in the field is done, the most of them having their washing, mending, and cooking to do, and having few or none of the ordinary facilities for doing either of these, very many of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing for the field the coming day; and when this is done, old and young, male and female, married and single, drop down side by side, on one common bed,-the cold, damp floor,-each covering himself or herself with their miserable blankets; and here they sleep till they are summoned to the field by the driver’s horn.” - Frederick Douglass explains the hardships that slaves had to endure that there was not even time to worry about having a bed when there was no time to actually sleep when there was much work to get done. Not just work that is given to them by their masters but their own personal work of cooking and mending clothes, taking care of children. So much was to be expected that if there was one mistake the punishment would end up being tens times as worse as the workload given.
I agree Maria. The quotes that you've mention shows how the slaves owners don't care for their slaves existence. They deprived them from privileges such as knowing their age and knowing their mother to keep them ignorant. It's very sad to know that they were deprived of these things especially the privilege of knowing and having a bond with your own mother.
She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my master’s farms, near Lee’s Mill. I was not allowed to be present during her illness, as her death or her burial. She was gone too long before I knew anything about it. Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.
Its sad that he felt the same emotions as if she were a stranger.
The slaves were treated very bad. But to deprive them from knowing the little things like their mothers is very sad. it kind of shows how much his mother has an impact on his life
“The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (19).
This quote was note worthy because it speaks loud and clear that the mere existence of the slaves did not matter, and to show that their mere existence was of only a worker. Nothing less and nothing more.
“Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions” (21).
Just as the first quote, another privilege that was deprived from slaves/ child was the bond of their mother. Here, Douglas talks about how he never enjoyed or was blessed with her presence. How he never felt his mother’s tender touch and love, and even his mother’s death, he was deprived of the emotions he should have felt towards her mother because he never knew the emotions or feelings of having a mother.
“The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek… those songs still follows me, to deepen my hatred of slavery” (30).
This quote shows how the sadness and the pain of the other slaves really touch Douglas. It shows how much he sympathize their sadness; it shows how much he loathed slavery. Watching them being punished and beaten and hearing them sing such a sorrow song calls out to him. This quote shows how much slavery has affected him psychologically.
“In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity…. Any thing, no matter what, to get rid of thinking” (54).
This quote speaks how Douglass is affected psychologically. He says he envies his fellow slaves because of their stupidity so he can get rid of thinking. Thinking for Douglas opened his eyes to the “horrible pits” and no way of getting out of it. During that time, reading and thinking made him hate his master because he felt like their masters left their home and went to Africa and stole them from their homes to make them slaves. This quote is so strong because the ability to think should be a blessing, but Douglas felt during that time was that the ability to think was a curse.
Douglas was psychologically enslaved than physically. In some of the quotes I mention, you can see how much pain and sorrow he went through mentally. How he was mentally enslaved in his own thoughts. Watching his fellow slaves being beaten and punish, being deprived of privileges, not being able to know his mother, etc psychologically enslaved him because the pain and sorrow will always be there oppose to physical pain which is only temporary.
Hi Mary, we had similar view points about the book. I agree with you that the fact that he mentioned he knew no slave who knew his own birthday was because their existence was not worth it. Also, on the issue that he is more psychologically damaged than physically damaged. I agree with you on that.
Mary, I couldn't agree with you more. Frederick has a few examples of how he could be physically enslaved, but the majority of what he had to go through and what he had to see, seemed to hit him more psychologically than anything else. And of course, I don't blame him one bit. All of that pain and suffering, just like you said, would be tough for anyone.
Mary, my attention was caught on the same quote as you did about Douglass not remembering his own mother. He was departed from his mother at a young age and has seen more than any kid at a young age would regarding death, punishment, hunger, and the horrible life slaved people had. Although Douglass escaped from being enslaved, i doubt anyone has escaped from the psychological impact it has made in his life.
Absolutely crazy to think that he envied the thoughtfulness of other slaves in moments of struggle. Douglass knew the importance of education, but living the life that he did, it must have been very difficult to see those around him surrender to enslavement becasue their minds had been conditioned that way. I am sure to understand what was happeing and how cruel and unjust such treatment was would be almost unbearable, during that hardship he must have felt that ignorance would be bliss, but he knew better which later to lead him to freedom.
All the quotes you chose, show how stark the life of a slave was. The mental and physical deprivation is hard for us to fully comprehend in our day and age. What is so awe inspiring, though, about Douglas was that he was a man, like you and me, who experienced such unfortunate means and over came them.
As for his envy of the uneducated slaves: knowledge is powerful but it can also be isolating. He bore that struggle with his head held high even as he wrote the pains it caused him.
A truly powerful figure with an understanding that transcended his time.
“Children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed then, they went naked until the next allowance-day.” -The quote that I selected would be an example of physical behavior, only because what I chose was explaining what was occurring each year and how they were dressed and how they suffered without having anything to cover themselves with. If I was the slave I was a slave I would be sad to think no matter what I only had certain amount of clothes a year and if something happened to the clothes they would go to work naked. My reaction to this would be that it’s sad that theses slaves have to go through this torture knowing that they have certain amount of clothes for the year and the way the slaves work it is really hard to take good care of the clothes they are provided with.
“He singed to take pleasure manifesting his fiendish barbarity. Added to his cruelty, he was profane swearer.” -This quote that I chose was a physiological behavior, only because it shows how this slave would be treated so badly that the slaves would have to be doing something to either make there selves feel better, and they did it by singing. I feel that the slaves felt that the singing would help one another bring some happiness in singing together. I support the slaves and what they did to help one another feel better and give them some hope that they can go through this and help them feel better towards each other. I also think that they sang to make the situation that the slaves were in a lot better.
“Sometimes thought that the mere hearing of those songs would do more to impress some minds with the horrible character of slavery, and then the reading of whole volume of philosophy of the subject could do.” -This quote is a great example of the physiological behavior, because it explains exactly what the slaves felt and was doing to help one another out on how to get through the tough situations. By singing the slaves would sing along to each other to make the day on being hurt mentally and physically a bit better. I think this quote is a physiological one because it shows how the hearing of the song singing made their minds not think so much about the hurt and a little more on hope.
“A city slave is almost a freeman, compared with a slave on the plantation. He is much better fed and clothed, and enjoys privileges altogether unknown to the slave on the plantation.” -What this quote states here is that a slave that was in the city was freer than a typical slave on the plantation. This states that salves were treated horribly on the plantation and they would run away and be free from their master. A city slave was a free man and he could do what he wishes he may, but a plantation slave would be imprisoned there forever. It also states that he much rather be fed that clothed, which means that this is a very good example of physical behavior. It is an example of physical behavior because, any slave did not care how he was dressed, but he would be just fine with food and water.
Fredrick Douglas was psychologically enslaved than physically. In his quotes that I mentioned you can see how much pain he went through mentally and how he was mentally imprisoned in his very own thoughts. After growing up enslaved with such a rough upbringing and the atmosphere he lived in, he watched his former slaves are beaten and punish to death and also, not being able to know who his mother is and so much more. Fredrick was psychologically enslaved with the pain he went through and that would last him a lifetime.
Jisel, I like all the quotes that you find especially the one about “A city slave is almost a freeman”. As you mention, slaves that work in the plantations were treated horribly and that’s why they run away. However, I think that a city slaves was not free because he or she still had to serve their masters, but they were better off than those that worked in the plantations. Lastly, I agree that FD was psychologically enslaved than physically.
A majority of us all feel the same towards the quotes being posted. We feel as though they're wrong and we feel bad for the slaves. I agree with you on the fact of how much harm they were caused both psychologically and physically. They endured hardships we could never even imagine doing ourselves. So great job on the quotes!
Jisel I enjoyed reading your quotes. I believe that slavery is a cruel act towards human beings because no human being should be treated as an animal. As you mentioned slaves were treated horribly and that is why they ran away. I honestly do not blame them and I would do the same. No person would like to live under these conditions. I totally agree with your points. Great job!
Hey Jisel, I completely agree with you Douglas was definitely imprisoned mentally. I liked when you also stated that singing for the slaves was better for them. I think it was a good pick me up for them. They had no other way to express themselves other than song.
Jisel, I completely agree with you on how Douglass faced more of a mental enslavement rather a physical one. I also feel like everything that happened to him during his life always stayed with him because it was so very impacting and I don't blame him because if I were in his shoes I would probably feel the same.
Hello Jisel, as i was reading your quotes you brought up some very significant points and views on your chose of quotes. I really liked how you explained all of the quotes and how they were either a psychological or physical and explained it very clearly. I also agree that he was mentally enslaved. You brought up some good points and make it very intriguing.
“I have found that, to make a contended slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.”
This quote really struck me as I found that many who are trying to keep control of another keep them in a state where their ability to judge what is going on or the true facts are suppressed. ex. North Korea.
"If you teach that nigger(speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. it would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. it would make him discontented and unhappy."
This quote supports my point that once a slave learns they would be able to decide for themselves what is right.
"they seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!"
I found this quote sad as the slaves did not look upon themselves for what they were but for what their masters were.
"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it"
This quote shocked me a little bit as it was my thinking that everyone would know their age taking for granted my ability to count.
Jon, I really enjoyed reading your quotes. There were a couple that really stuck out to me. First off, the quote about reading and education only being harm to slaves and not helpful because the slaves did want them to be intelligent in any way. They thought of a slave being unfit if he knew how to read and write. The masters made it seem like such a bad thing so that no one wanted to try to learn. The other quote that caught my eye was the age one. Could you imagine not knowing how old you are? We often take it for granted and think that it is normal to know how old we are, who are parents are and little pieces of our childhood but these slaves weren't even allowed to have knowledge of it.
Jon, I also really liked the quotes that you picked, especially the first and second one. They really seem to say that slaves were supposed to have no opinions and no knowledge of anything. They were just meant to work and do what they are told, not much else. To me, it feels as if Frederick Douglas actually believes some of this to be true. Although I haven't finished the book yet, so I am really hoping that his perception of slavery changes.
Hi, Jon. I really like your first quote for me it goes with the quote, "Once you learn to read, you will forever be free." This is because without being educated it is less likely to question certain things or even rebel. A slave that doesn't know better is less likely to cause problems.
“I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday… The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” The slaves were deprived of even just the little things, such as knowing how old you are. It seems like jealousy started young because the white children were able to know their age. “My father was a white man. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me.” The idea that his father was the white master is just crazy to think about. Whether the master forced his mom or not, he kept his son without knowledge of who is father was and even worse, he made Frederick work for him as a slave. The phrase, “I know nothing,” says it all. The slaves were not allowed to have much knowledge and were often sheltered to keep them that way. The masters wanted to keep them naïve of the outside world and feared they might try to run away or rise up if they got too smart. “The men and women slaves received as their monthly allowance of food, eight pound of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars.” To think that that is all they were allowed for a month’s worth of food and a year’s worth of clothes is crazy. They were given so little, and expected to live off of the bare minimums. I bet it was such a relief when it came time to switch out their clothes from the rags they had to the new set. The clothes and food they were given was just about all they had and they were thankful to receive it. The slaves were treated so poorly and in such an inhumane way, it was only time until someone stood up and said enough is enough.
I definitely agree with you in terms of how crazy the situations not only Douglass endured, but also the rest of the slaves during that time. It's sad to think that all slaves were taken advantaged of just because the "masters" wanted certain work done.
"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant." "For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child's affection toward its mother, and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child. This is the inevitable result." "Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year." Last 3 chapters of the 1st chapter giving a detailed description of the whippings that many of the slaves had to endure.
I chose the first 2 quotes as examples of possibly the psychological chains that Frederick Douglas might be experiencing, holding him to slavery. As soon as you begin reading this narrative, Frederick describes details feelings of what it is like to be a slave in America. The masters were cruel to the slaves, not allowing them to live a normal life, like the "white children" were able to. The second 2 quotes were my interpretation of some of the physical chains that are holding Frederick to slavery. The end of chapter 1 was very difficult to read. It almost seems unreal that people could be so cruel to others, but the reality is that all of that actually did happen... to people that didn't nearly deserve that kind of treatment. The slaves were treated like animals, and Frederick even seems to feel this himself, which can be seen in the first quote. Their emotional ties broken, their physical bodies treated as nothing.
Hi Kaleigh, I agree on how you feel about the first chapter. I know that we all know that slaves were treat unfair but this book just takes people to another level of understanding how bad they were treated. Best part of this book is that every page is interesting.
"I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. I was myself within the circle, so that i neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear." - Frederick Douglas, in this quotes, refers to the depressing songs the African American slaves sang. While those outside the circle, sought to believe that the songs were cheerful & happy, those inside knew the literal meaning to it and the depressing message it carried."
"While i was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, i was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, i had gained from my master." - Douglas, in this quote, expresses two emotions. He is saddened because his educator is order to no longer serve him for education because it was said that it would interfere the duty of a slave. Yet expresses appreciation & happiness towards his educator for showing him new ways of life and education that he sought to know before.
"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent her soothing presence, her tender & watchful care, I received the tidings of death with much the same emotions i should have probably felt at the death of a stranger." -This quotes depicts the emptiness he felt being separated from his mother at birth, never getting a chance to feel & experience the nurture of his mother. Instead, he experienced the death, in which of a stranger.
“I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me at night.” I find it sad that his own mother could not be there to watch him grow up. His mother had to walk twelve miles just to see him, and it was only after a long hard day at work. Since his mother endured such hard labor, she died early in life; Douglass was only seven when his mother died. How is it fair that the white children can see their parents 24/7, yet the black children were separated from their families if needed so?
“To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery.” Slavery is dehumanizing no matter what way you think about it. A majority of these slaves had no choice whether they wanted to do this or not; others were born into slavery. Slavery is dehumanizing because it harms a person’s physical and emotional self; they are being physically beaten while emotionally hurting inside as well.
“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in their hands, and soon commenced its infernal work.” These white families had the power, they had superiority over the African American slaves and there was no way around it. They had been granted a power that should never have been given out because whites, along with blacks, were all humans. They should have ALL been treated equally and given the same rights from the beginning. The poison was the concept of slavery, and it was a living hell for the slaves.
“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master-to do as he is told. Learning will spoil the best nigger in the world..” This is the way a majority of the whites felt; they felt that the slaves were inferior to them. They believed they would turn at any chance they got or take advantage of a situation. To the whites, it was unlawful to try and teach a slave what the whites already new. It would let the slave think as though they were on the same level as the whites, which wasn't true at all.
Hi Lisandra , well I like the quotes you have found . I also like the way you have explained each one with great detail. It just shows how bad these slaves were treated.
Lisandra I agree with you on your first quote. If my mom had to walk 12 miles to see me at night, she would resign from the position of being my mother. I just can't cant put myself in a position to do that to somebody else.
I know these people were treated horribly . I just think that not just you would resign but a lot of woman from this period of time would also because now we all live in different times.
“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. “ This stood out to me the most on Chapter 1 because the first thing in the chapter that stood out me was this. I just feel that I am not the only one who will bring great importance to this sentence in chapter 1. It just makes me to value the things around me more and one other thing is to come to thought that we people of today take small little things for granted which in reality small things have bigger importance.
“By far the horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.”
I totally 100 percent agree with this sentence. I just feel that not only in the past people who were seen as ignorant were treated badly but also this still goes on. I have been a witness to see people get treated bad only because they do not speak English or because they have no education people tend to treat these people badly and different. It just makes me angry.
“The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing the means of knowing was withheld from me.” When reading this sentence I was a little shocked. He is basically saying that his master is dad. I just can not understand why his father does this to his own son.
“I never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was very short in duration, and at night.” This kind of treatment of slavery was bad. Okay one thing is to have people work but to keep them away from their mothers like this is torment. I think that these people who were separating children from their moms are cruel and more ignorant than they think the slaves were.
" The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why i ought to be deprived of the same privilege." - Douglass was departed form his mom at a very young age as other African american children are, and that's the reason why they have no idea of when their birthday is. African american children are too young to understand the discrimination and difference between African Americans and whites.
"...i know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me." - Douglass knows very little of his origin because slaves are deprived from nothing further more about their life. Slaves are prohibited to knowing more than what they should.
" The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tear." -People usually sing when they are happy, in the circumstances of a slave, they sing because they are unhappy. This quote is comparing how songs relieve pain like tears is to get rid of the pain they feel in their heart.
" If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell" - African Americans were not allowed to do nothing than obey their masters like mentioned in the book. If a slave was to learn how to read and write then they would learn how to take advantage and be free.
" It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out." -Some slaves witness the beating an or murder of another slave with their own eyes, that it made them realize on the horrible situation they were in as being a slave and to know that there was no way out.
“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.” This quote really stood out to me because it showed how the slave owners were dehumanizing the slaves. The slave owners were in some ways turning the slaves into animals. They sought out to make the slaves into mindless workers who's only purpose was to follow orders. It is a shame because you never know how many great minds and people might of been among those slaves that we will never know about.
"I was afraid to speak to any one if fear of speaking to the wrong one, and thereby falling into the hands of money-loving kidnappers, whose business it was to lie in wait for the panting fugitive, as the ferocious beast of the forest lie in wait for their prey" Here we can see how even tho Frederick Douglass had escaped slavery and was now in a free state he still struggled with the issues of being a former slave. Douglass was extremely lonely and could not share his struggles with no one, he was somewhat still a slave but now a slave of his own fear. His days as a slave trained him to be weary of other men. Douglass even said his motto was "Trust no man!". Slaves always had to live in fear free or not.
I agree with your comment on your first quote. I find it very disheartening of the owners to brainwash and physically abuse the slaves.They did not even treat them as humans anymore, but rather as animals. How could they be so cruel and selfish? Reading about the details of Frederick's account deeply saddens me that African Americans had to deal with this. America was a highly hypocritical country, it wanted freedom, but deprived others of freedom.
Mauricio your first quote stood out to me as well. These slave owners were purely cruel people. They were practically training them to be robots, and treating them as if they weren't apart of the human race. Many of those slaves could have very well been leading intellectual or inventors at the time, but they never go the chance.
I agree with your first quote. it is sad to think that they could make the slaves content in some way. the slave owners were very cruel to all the slaves.
“I received the tiding of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger” (21).
This quote was one of most dramatically ones that I read. I can’t image how a little boy would deal with the death of his own mother; I think it would be very hard. However, Frederick Douglass felt “nothing” like when a stranger dies. I think this was why newborn slaves very separated from their moms; to break the bond between the mom and the child. This was a psychological way of slavery rather than physically slavery.
“I am going away to the Great House Farm! O, Yea! O, Yea! O!” (29).
This quote intrigues me because it was song that the slaves sang when going to the Great House Farm. When Frederick Douglass heard for the first time he did not understand the meaning of the song. I believed that slaves sang this song because they were “happy” because they were going to the Great House Farm because they were giving monthly allowances. However, they were treated badly and inhumanly. This way of thinking that the Great House Farm was a good place was a psychological trick that the slave owners invented so that slaves wouldn’t escape.
“This is the penalty of telling the truth, of telling the simple truth, in answer to a series of plain questions” (35).
I like this quote because this occurs when a slave was ask by his master (he did not he was he was his master) whether his master treat him well, the slave answer “no”, then the coronel ask him “What, does he work you too hard?”, the slave answered “Yes, sir” and the coronel continue to ask him more questions. Well, after few weeks the salve was sold just for telling the truth. I believed this was a psychological way of slavery because the slave were not allow to tell the truth when it came to answering questions regarding to their masters because they did not what could happened to them for just telling the truth.
“It was a common saying, even among little white boys, that it was worth a half-cent to kill a ‘nigger,’ and a half-cent to bury one” (41).
This quote impressed me because slave owners and most whites considered the death of a slave worthless and that it was not even worth a cent. I think this is why slave owners did all kinds of atrocities to their slave because they didn’t consider humans. Also, killing a slave was not persecuted or even consider a crime.
Overall, slaves were psychologically enslave because of the thing they make them believed and think. They were not allow to know how to read or write, this was done in order to be able to easily control them. Nevertheless, physically enslave was also a method that slave owners used as well.
“He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with his many stripes.” This quote shows how rutheless some slave owners or “Masters” were to their slaves. Frederick Douglass is constantly stating how mean his own master was. Slaves would be beaten, starved, and whipped for many reasons, most of which because of disobeying their master. When a slave disobeys they were properly punished to ensure obedience, no slave owner wants a disobedient slave. “I do not remember to ever have met a slave who can tell of his birthday” Most slaves weren’t givin any information about their birthdate or family. Most had no idea of their age. I just think it would be crazy to live your life and not know how old you are.
"The slaves selected to go to the Great House Farm, for the monthly allowance for themselves and their fellow-slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic" (8). This quote shows how subjective life is. It is sad that someone living with such low societal standards sees something that would be exciting.
"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The song of the slave represents the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears" (9). This sounds like universal coping mechanism. Nowadays, people release their emotions in music whether they are listening to it or recording it.
"They seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferrable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed" (12). This reveals that there was a social class among slaves, and to be a poor man's slave was to be on the bottom. I find it sad that they were happy to be a slave of a rich man. they deemed themselves to better if society was better for their master.
Heather, your second quote was very interesting. I totally agree that even to today people use music to express how they are feeling whether it is bad or good. It is the words that we can never say out loud or can never put together but yet to music it all fits. The next quote shows us that they base their status off their owner and not themselves. They do not seem to have a sense of self worth, it is about how rich or powerful their master is. It is sad to see they even had the lows of the lows and that even the slaves thought of the poor man's slaves as a disgrace. Good quotes!
Heather, I agree with your first and third quote. First, the fact that slaves found it exciting to go to another plantation (Great House Farm) which houses many slaves. This demonstrates the hopelessness and disturbing, harsh life that slaves had to deal with. It appears to me that at this point the slaves began to think less of themselves because they accepted such conditions and even got excited about going to the Great House Farm. My thoughts on your third quote were that it was considered to be worse to be a poor man's slave rather than a rich man's slave because they probably got less food, clothing for the year, etc. Those slaves who had poor owners probably wished they were with a rich owner. Very few slaves would think of freedom at this point.
" I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason.” -For a slave to be content, he must not use any of his own thoughts. It is crazy because I know that if I saw something unfair, I would want to speak up. Slaves were not able to speak their minds and I think that is horrible. "Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy.” -Slaves had a way of showing their unhappiness in a way that did not really sound like nagging or complaining. Instead, the slaves sang. Singing was a way to let their feelings out.
“It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed" -The poorer the master, the cheaper the slave was considered since people figured that poor a man would not be able to afford a good enough slave. The richer men had money to pay for the best, hardworking, slaves.
I also gravitated to the quotes that talked about a contented or obedient slave is a thoughtless one. I think it goes to show that slaves felt entrapped by their minds and what they were convinced they were capable of, not just physically witheld and beaten brutally. The attacks on the minds of slaves was as powerful as any.
It is rather interesting that many of us seem to have an inclination about the psychological ways Slaveholders used to break their slaves' will to obtain freedom. It is immeasurably cruel to put a man in such psychological and physical torture. The slaves were predisposed to the idea that slavery is indeed a way of living, they were manipulated to believe this idea by making them 'thoughtless...and {annihilating} the power of reason.'
Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger I thought that this quote was really important because here we meet Douglass n a personal way. Here we can see how Douglass’s master takes him away from the arms of his mother soon after birth. He shares he did not feel that love because he did not get the opportunity to live with his mother and share her warmth and love. He missed the presence of a mother and explains that her death was that of a stranger because he did not have a mother. Here we can see how Douglass explains the cruel way that slaves are treated. Their masters treat them worse than animals. In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death. Here Douglass explains his plan to escape from slavery. He explains the extreme danger that slaves go through to escape. Their liberty is much compared to death because their liberty costs them their life. Douglass tries to tell us that slavery is worse than death because they suffer. Slaves are treated brutally and suffer through their lives. Without struggle there is no success. Here I believe that Douglass in some way grew as a person. He was shaped by everything that happened in his life. He suffered a lot because he did not have the chance to live a regular childhood life. He did not get the chance to feel the love of a mother. Something that affected him tremendously.
For the first quote, I agree with what you stated. I would like to add that the process by which the slaveowners separate the mothers and their children is a common practice. According to Frederick Douglas, this method represses the slaves and takes away any emotional attachment between the Parent and Child.
And for the Patrick Henry reference in his quote, I believe that Frederick Douglas meant that the slaves shall yearn from freedom even if it means dying trying to attain it. "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
“Few privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out-farms, than that of being selected to do errands at the Great House Farm” (7).
The fact that slaves even considered the Great House Farm a privilege displays their hopelessness and the even more terrible life they were living at their own farm.
“I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (24).
I found this quote to be very sad, but hopeful. The only reason that Frederick still wanted to live was his hope. Had it not been for his hope, despite the many treacherous experiences he has witnessed. I find it very disturbing that the colonists could such awful things as to make people wish they were dead instead of living a terribly life of slavery. When we learned about the information that the colonies wanted to become a free, independent country, I was proud that they fought for their rights. However, I am disgusted by the way in which they decide to make the nation prosper; having slaves.
“ I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything” Frederick Douglass’ description of what he went through is horrifying. I cannot imagine being awaken by the screams of my aunt and not being able to do anything about it. The fact that his owner found pleasure in beating his aunt, and would beat her the louder she l screamed is so shocking. It’s even more disturbing that Douglas had to see this occur, and was even beaten himself. He even states that there are no words to describe those awful occurrences.
“Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year.”
This quote is from the passage that states that the slave children were living in such horrible conditions. When they had no clothes to wear they would be naked until the next payment. Douglas states that throughout all the seasons children were naked whether they were fighting harsh weather. The slave owners did not care about the kids, the only thing that was important to them was their crops. ‘The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they would come and devour the mush; some with oyster-shells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked hands, and none with spoons.” This quote ripped me apart. It’s so difficult to believe that such cruel behavior was accepted. No one was given any utensils or even nutritious food to live off of. These children were literally treated like animals and there was no one there that could do anything about it. I can just imagine seeing these kids being happy with the little they had. This quote, and the reading definitely put things in perspective for me.
Frederick Douglas was psychologically trapped as he was mentally. I think that Douglas probably feared wanting more because he was always told he couldn't do anything. He overcame so many things, that have shaped him to the man he was.
Hello Anna, I really enjoyed reading your second quote and your opinion on it. I agree with you very much. Its sad knowing that all they cared about back then was their crops and not children. Children are our future and they shouldnt be treated like animals. Just like you said, this reading definitely put things in perspective for me as well.
Hello Anna, i wanted to say you had a very good chose of quotes. I liked that you mentioned a lot about the children and how they suffered when they were young. I was cruel how they were treated and I agree that the behavior they had was unacceptable.
“I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy.” Without the ability to read, most slaves had very little understanding of the situation that they were stuck in. They main source of knowledge they had was from their masters and even then that was corrupted and scarce. With the ability to read, slaves were able to read about what was going on in the states, and see that not everyone lived in terrible conditions as themselves. With the knowledge Frederick had, realizing that he was in such a terrible situation fueled his hatred and anger. He saw how inhumane these people were, and lacking the ability to fight it, caused him to despise his ability to read.
“The first step had been taken. Mistress in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.” With these small learning steps, it was enough for Frederick to ignite a desire to learn more. He had learned from his master that giving a slave the ability to read would make the slave worthless to the master and only cause problems. This helped Frederick realize that path to becoming free, would begin with learning how to read. With so much passion behind his master’s assertion of preventing him to learn, he knew it was a treasure worth fighting for.
“I had two sisters and one brother that lived in the same house with me; but the early separation of us from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact of our relationship from our memories.” Here Douglass shows how emotionless he is when it comes to his family. He hardly even considers themselves a family. This gives us an insight what happened when families were formed during slavery. He shows us how not only does slavery break up families; it also prevents them from happening.
Michael, I agree with your interpretation of the first quote. Learning to read was very important as a slave because not many had the opportunity to learn because according to the whites they weren't meant to have education they were meant for labor. But with the ability to read they were also exposed to the reality of the word. It must have been hard for a slave to have to go through that.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
Seriously! how inspiring is this quote?? This quote has such a powerful message to it. This quote means if you are educated and willing to let yourself be free of your troubles, then you can overcome anything wiht a wide and open educated mind. It also says that a person should allow themselves to be aware that all citizens had the right to be free.
“Without a struggle, there can be no progress.”
This quote explains how if you don't fight for what you want than you will never have the feeling of feeling the full satisfaction of fighting for your goal.
“A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.”
This quote relates to the saying of "if your respect me then I respect you" statement. Enough said.
Hey Virginia! I liked your first quote but I love second quote better! The first quote, is in fact true and even in our lives today. You need to struggle with life in order to have more development. There is always hope even if there are many restrictions. Nice!
I love the first quote you chose Virginia. It is very inspiring and I believe it is true even now because the more knowledge you gain the more possibilities you have of different careers to choose from.
Hello Virginia, I love your responses!! All your quotes are very meaningful quotes. Especially the first one, Its extremely powerful because once one is educated there is nothing or anyone whom can stop you from overcoming anything! Education is KEY.
I like your second quote. It is true that if there is no struggle than the cause might not be all that great. We need setbacks to drive us to keep going towards our goals and dreams.
"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege." Could you imagine what it would feel like to not even know the date of your own birth, as if you weren’t even human? Wild animals are born daily without knowing the exact day and time of their birth, but it doesn’t feel as bad because no wild animal is aware of when he or she arrived on this planet. This is a time when Black people weren’t able to know when they were born in order to make them believe that they were as irrelevant as they were treated. They watched white individuals as they celebrated their birthdates which created the thought that only white people were worthy of knowing theirs date of birth. Many Black people had to settle with only knowing the season of which they were born, giving them little information about their actual age. “I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance.” Douglass always had it in his mind to make his escape but he hadn’t thought about it rationally yet. This procedure was far too dangerous to make any mistakes and Douglass had it in his mind that he would live harmlessly as a free man. There must have been pain present from seeing how happily free men seem while he viewed himself in such harsh situations. "It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it." I don’t believe that there are any words to even describe the harsh environments slaves endured. It only mad it worst that little and sometimes no earnings were received in compensation for all of the hard work that they were put through.
Hi Edwin. I totally agree with your interpretations of the quotes. I liked the first and second quotes. The first one, I could not believe it when I read it. Slaves were treated like animals and Animals do not know the exact date it was born like you mentioned which I agree.
The second quote, I also loved. Thinking and wishing about freedom is a dream come true for slaves. Planning an escape sounds easy but it is not. I can't imagine the consequences for runaway slaves. More harsh than the whip. Slave owners are inhumane.
Hi Edwin, i also agree with your interpretations of the quotes. Its very sad that slaves did not know their birthdays and the comparison to animals is very heart breaking. It is also very inspiring that Douglass always had the idea to escape. He didn't just dwell and deal with being a slave for the rest of his life, he knew he would escape and that was his salvation.
“Here, too, the slaves of all the other farms received their monthly allowance of food, and their yearly clothing. The men and women slaves received, as their monthly allowance of food, eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars. The allowance of the slave children was given to their mothers, or the old women having the care of them. The children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed them, they went naked until the next allowance-day. Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year.”
This quote shows how slaves were treated. They were dehumanized almost completely. It also shows how most slave owners are greedy and selfish. In this particular quote, slaves were given not enough food and clothing. If they were to run out of food within the first month, I believe that they would have a chance of not surviving and the slave owners will not care at all since they are almost treated as objects. Slaves are not paid at all most of the time. Slave owners should at least consider their Slave’s health. Not only adult slaves were treated as objects but also children most of the time. This quote shows the harsh conditions slave children went through. Even though this quote is just from a slave owner, I believe most slave owners consider these methods as normal which means almost all slaves had suffered horrible treatment and dehumanization.
“She was a field hand, and a whipping is the penalty of not being in the field at sunrise, unless a slave has special permission from his or her master to the contrary”
Frederic Douglas’ mother was separated from him. Slave owners are going too far with dehumanization. Slaves do have families and they want to be with them but slavery is the barricade for this. This particular quote also shows how violent the punishments were if slaves disobeyed. Slave owners would whip the slaves with such force that their backs are scarred permanently. Very harsh treatments and no freedom for slaves. I believe if slaves said the wrong word to their “masters,” then they would also get whipped. This quote shows that slave owners are monsters and treat their slaves as animals. Slave owners believe they are powerful so they treat slaves as low peasants but with harsh conditions. As I read the Autobiography, I was astonished that many slaves did not know their own age. Slave owners saw slaves as a working machines and not caring about their age, or their life and such. It sort of reminded me about the Stanford Prison Experiment I learned in an English class. Basically, one half or the prison guards had power and one half which were inmates had no power. The ones with power abused the ones with no power. Both Slavery and this experiment share the same psychological effects. Slave owners believe they are more powerful and will abuse the ones that they feel are worthless. This belief will cause them to take actions that are inhumane but they see it as a normal basis. It is disgusting that humans would go this far to torment and manipulate another individual believed to be worthless.
"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant." - This quote, on page 19, caught my attention because Frederick Douglas is decribing how slaves seemed no different than that of animals. It describes the little to no education they had about anything. Majority of the slaves had no clue of what their ideal age was. The last part of this quote kind of emphasises the point of slave owners keeping their slaves from retaining any intellegance. This sparks the idea of how slave owners might be aware of some of the troubles slaves may cause if they were to gain education. Frederick Douglas is well aware of how cruel the masters are to the slaves "I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs." -In this quote, on page 29, Frederick Douglas deep inside is well aware of the pain & saddness coming out within the hearts of the slaves, through the songs in which they sing. "To be accused was to be convicted, and o be convicted was to be punished" -This quote, on page 37-38, asserts how cruel the overseers can be. It puts the slaves in position where fear is constantly running through their minds. To think just by staring at the overseer for a second, can put one in danger, is just terrifying. What follows this quote is details on how cruel the overseers were, specifically Mr. Gore.
I agree with your interpretation of your third quote Marco. The slaves knew exactly what to fear and this was one. I agree how the slaves must have had fear with them constantly because any little thing they did wrong could cause them big trouble. This shows how easy it was for their owners to dominate the slaves..
"A want of information concerning my own [birthday] was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood" I'm pretty sure we have different books due to other quotes people quoting are on a different page for me. My quotes are actually from the first page of the first chapter. He starts out his narrative with just the right amount of information to make me sad and angered by the condition of slaves, just by the first page. It is unsettling to him that he does not know his own birthday but the white kids know theirs. Slaves were not given information allowing them to even know themselves. As Marco Silva quoted: "By far the larger part of slaves know as little their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant." Masters "deemed such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinant.." The want know know who you are or at least how old you are was thought to be silly. He didn't even get to know his mother. Slaves are separated from their mothers at early ages. Infants are separated from their mothers to perhaps delete the possibility of a loving bond between mother and child. Maybe that was deemed impertinent to masters as well. Douglass' guess for the separation was "to hinder the development of the child's affection toward it's mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child." The psychological torment for slaves began at birth! It is very inspiring to read a narrative by this man given that he was born with basically no chance of this success.
"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" This quote to me is very sad and heart breaking, being born and not knowing the day, only merely knowing the season in which they were born. "I do not remember to have ever met a salve who could tell of his birthday" Slaves were all treated the same in that they were denied the date of their birth. "my father was a white man....I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me. My mother and I were separated when i was but an infant--before i knew her as my mother." Aside from not knowing his birthday he didn't know his parents, He knew who his mother was but had faint memory to her as he only saw her a few times and at night. "It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which i ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very young age" Douglass states that the reason they do so is to "hinder the development of the child's affection towards its mother." The purpose of this was to rip away any loving emotions and mold the slaves to be emotionless. "there was no beds given the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such, and none but the men and women had these. This however, is not considered a very great privation" Slaves were deprived of beds and sleep, instead of sleeping they would get "home" late and prepare for the next day. Aside from the harsh treatment Douglass and the other slaves received, Douglass also saw very horrible things. "...a slave must stand, listen, and tremble...a man between fifty and sixty years of age, uncover his bald head, kneel down upon the cold, damp ground, and receive upon his naked and toil-worn shoulders more than thirty lashes at the time." Douglass witness harsh beatings, which to me relates to the question that was kept in mind, physically, or physiologically. Physiologically he saw horrible things that kept him as a slave because of the fear that, that could happen to him. Another example of this would be the quote on page 33 that starts with" Mr. Gore, then without consultation or deliberation with any one, not 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. His mangled body sank out of sight, and blood and brains marked the water where he had stood." Douglass witnessed brutality and murder, This was enough fear for all salves. But this fear didn't stop Douglass he was smart enough to knew he was better then all his and that kept his hope for freedom.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
This quote is so powerful and means so much to me. I believe that Education is KEY. Education is everything in one’s life. Once you are educated no one can disrespect you or take advantage of you. You know your rights, and you learn how to fight back, not with violence but with words which is a hundred times more powerful. "The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
This quote really got to me because it shows how the masters of the slaves thought that their existence was meaningless. Just like an animal. Every human always looks forward to their birthday to celebrate that they are a year older. We celebrate as a family and make memories every year. It’s sad to know that the slaves didn’t have this memory of celebrating their birthday, knowing when their birthday was, or at least knowing how old they were! This is something we take as granted and we should appreciate it more.
your first quote is a great quote. education allows a person to know the ways of the world in many different ways. this is probably why the slave owners did not educate the slaves so they would not learn that they do have rights as well.
I love both of these quotes and completely agree with you. I believe that education strengthens you and gives you power that would never have been possible before and allows you to defend yourself in a manner that will make people want to listen.
The second quote I think is powerful because it shows the huge lack of identity the slaves were forced to live with. Many times they were ignorant to their own fathers even, but not even being allowed to know their birthdays I believe is especially cruel because it takes away all sense of who you are and how long you have been in existence-the minimal information that someone should know of oneself.
"She was a field hand,and a whipping is the penalty of not being in the field at sunrise,unless a slave has special permission from his or her master to the contrary - a permission which they seldom get, and one that gives to him that gives it the proud name of being a kind master".
This quote shows that nobody had the privilege to even think of being late to work in the morning or else you would receive punishment, unless the master was "kind".
"The colonel, after ascertaining where the slave belonged,rode on; the man also went on about his business, not dreaming that he had been conversing with his master".
This is extremely sad because neither did slaves nor the master know each other because the master had so many slaves he didn't even know all of them. The most sad part is that even after telling his master he didn't get treated well and would be overworked by his master, Colonel Lloyd just left to his business with no apparent pity for his own slave .
Slavery back then was really sad and the slave owners did not know their slaves whom they should try to treat correct. This also shows that there were so many slaves probably just counted as numbers.
“For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child.” This quote was interesting to me because of the value that Douglass puts in the separation between mother and child. He believes that this was done to break that natural bond or any affection between mother and child. This is important because here he shows his point of view as a slave of the whites dominating the blacks by doing acts of cruelty like this. Douglass shows how much power the whites had against the blacks and he is starting to portray slavery and the brutality of it.
“It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass.” This quote stood out to me because it demonstrates the fear of the slaves. It is extremely sad how slaves had to go though the abuse of their owners and weren’t able to do anything about it. Here Douglass demonstrates how it was the “hell of slavery,” which I found very significant. Those words demonstrate great representation of the views of the slaves. Douglass did not compare the beatings, the cruelty, and the fear with anything mild; he compared it with “hell” itself. That demonstrates how bad and how scary it must have been to witness these beatings or even go through it. This quote emotionally touches the reader.
Hi Anakaren you gave a good explanation of how much power the slaves owners had over their slaves. It is sad and in my opinion really no point in separating them except out of cruelty.
Hi Anakaren, i liked your interpretation for both quotes. The second quote really stood out to me as well because it paints a picture of how slaves seen the world. It's sad because their lifestyles were filled with pure misery.
That first quote got to me as well. It is saddening to know that the cruelty of the white men to the slaves went as far as to not allow them to have a relationship with their children. That, to me is heartbreaking because of how strong my relationship with my parents is and how different my life would have been without them constantly in my life.
"Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!" “It's easier to build strong children then repair broken men.” “I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.” While I was reading I tried to focus on the distinction between physical punishment and psychological enslavement. Although in many cases they go hand in hand, I think the amount of emphasis that Douglass puts on education alludes to the fact that he believed slavery to be a gross and formidable, but mainly mental entrapment. He acknowledges his own education as the reason he was able to escape from slavery and also talks a lot about how slaves are tricked into accepting their enslavement. Since the conditions and treatment was so atrocious, no one in their right mind would accept it and so the only way for the masters to control them was to break them down mentally.
Hey there, I agree with your reasoning towards the power that psychological punishment has. As Frederick describes injuring a persons' mental abilities would have a greater impact on the individual.
“Slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs” This is a very striking and sad because to not know how old he was, he must be so uneducated to even know how to count the days or months or even years. He even makes a comparison of the intelligence that a slave and a horse had. As described by Frederick Douglass both of the slave and the horse had the same intelligence. Besides giving us an insight of how uneducated slaves were, this also tells us how cruel and opportunistic were the slave owners. The slave owners were opportunistic in the sense that they made sure that none of their slaves came into contact with some kind of education because this could yield disaster for them. Although this kind of retribution might seem as something minute, this psychological beating down it is greater for Frederick Douglass than any physical punishment. “I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake.” While I was reading this passage, several other instances came to my mind that had similar ways of distorting the cruel truth in to a more pleasing truth. For instance, like Stalin, Hitler and many others horrible individuals throughout history, many slave owners would hide and manipulate the horrible reality in order to keep their reputation unstained.
I agree that it was very sad to compare the slaves at the time to horses who can't even tell what their age was. It also true that you mention that slave owners would try to justify the way they would treat people to keep their reputation clean.
I also agree that it was awful to compare the slaves to horses due to the fact that they couldn't tell their age. Treating humans like animals is a horrible way to try to keep ones reputation clean.
Hello Julio, I wouldn't say that because a slave did not know his age meant he was not educated. Their age was kept from them so how can they count the months or years when they have no idea what day they were born? I do agree with you that the south owners tried to manipulate the truth of how the slaves were treated.
“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in their hands, and soon commenced its infernal work.”
I like this quote because best describes the situation in the book, AND it describes people throughout history and present day. Irresponsible power can be symbolized as poison because it kills. I like the use of "infernal" on the second part. I imagine a fiery path towards destruction.
"Once you learn to read, you will forever be free."
This quote, like the first, is pretty constant through time but it also is really motivating. Learning to read for him opened up so many opportunities. Keeping slaves uneducated was a good way to keep them confined . We take for granted how important reading is on a daily bases. It's like walking into a foreign country and not understanding anything. Once he was liberated from his ignorance he could take on any issue through his intelligence.
I would completely agree with the fantastic symbolism of the first quote. I would like to add that when he describes "irresponsible power" as capable of doing "work", it almost gives "irresponsible power" a life of its own, like it can possess the souls of those who succumb to it. I'd also have to agree with your latter comment on the second quote. His ability to communicate on a higher level through is dedication to literature gave him a powerful tool that enabled him to speak in the world that once owned him.
As I began to read the book and put myself in Frederick Douglass's shoes a few quotes really stood out, they include:
"They seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but too be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed."
Thinking historically I begin to think that F.D. implies that as a slave you have no identity and the little identity you do have is that of your master. There was a sense of pride and prestige associated by your master's status within the slaves. He also speaks of the "big house" where if I was a slave working close to the big house I had a high position. Nevertheless, you can still be whipped, beat, humiliated and disgraced but within the slaves you were seen as having higher status. This highlights a mental for of slavery because the highest level they can accomplish is working as a slave still being beat but working near the master is "high" praise.
"while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery."
Here he further hints at the mental chains the slave owners have on their slaves. He states that even the songs the slave project their feelings a sense of bondage and character of slavery is heard in them. The dehumanizing character a slave projects is a result of their captivity not physical but mental. He hints that even in the culture of the slaves the mental chains protrude through songs and stories.
slavery indeed was a huge issue back then and the way they were treated was unfair. They did not have a say on anything nor make any decisions for themselves. Even if the slaves have contracts with the owners, they are forced to stay even longer or else they would be punished. It was just too unfair.
I like how you were able to connect to Fredrick's idealism and how you were able to provide well through out examples to break down his quotes. I really appreciated reading your response. Keep up the good work.
Already from the first chapter there are many noteworthy things Frederick Douglas had mentioned about slavery during that time.
"A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages." -I found this quote very sad but true during that time. Slaves were not treated the same way as white people were so many of the children born into slavery did not know the life of knowing a birthday they could call their own.
"The whisper that my master was my father, may or may not be true; and, true or false, it is of but little consequence to my purpose whilst the fact remains, in all its glaring odiousness, that slaveholders have ordained, and by law established..." -With slavery comes many questions that arise among children born under slavery. Many of these children do not know their parents, sometimes only knowing their mother. There were also always rumors of the slave owner being the father but that was really controversial at the time, which is interesting to see if most of these rumors were true.
Hello Jamille, I agree with you concerning the life of the children when they had slave parents. They could have at least celebrated their birthday so that they can feel somewhat important and happy. Also, for the second quote, again it was not their fault that they were born into slavery. I feel like they deserved a complete family.
" She was a woman of noble form, and of graceful proportions, having very few equals, and fewer superiors, in personal appearance, among the colored or white women of our neighborhood. "
-I think this quote states that the woman mentioned above is prohibited to associate herself with any other people besides her own class status. This stuck out to me the most because I think that this act is still seen today. For example, kings and queens are not just to marry anyone they please but they have to think of the people they are taking care of. Also, a few wealthy families have high expectations for their children, especially when it comes to meeting their future spouse.
" Here, too, the slaves of all the other farms received their monthly allowance of food, and their yearly clothing."
-This quote also was meaningful for me because I can't imagine how difficult it was for the slaves then to manage their money wisely for food and their other necessities. Also, unlike everyone else, they couldn't just buy clothes whenever they wanted to and also had to make their clothes last for a whole year. I think we are very fortunate now that slavery is not seen anymore.
“I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger”
Frederick Douglas expounds that the death of her mother was quite insignificant to him during his younger years due to the fact that they were separated from each other during childbirth (Although, her mother would always travel and visit him almost every night). The slaveholders disconnects the child from the mother. Thu, destroying the emotional bond between a parent and a child. Because Douglas never had the experience of having a typical and exclusive relationship with his mother, her death did not mean much to him.
“whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom”
In the quote above, Frederick Douglas explains a very powerful argument. He states that as he gets educated (instead of being content), his desire for freedom increases. He also addresses the idea that slaveowners are controlling and manipulating their slaves by keeping them uneducated and repressing their them by maintaining the notion that slavery is not a heinous act but rather a normal circumstance.
“religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the most appalling barbarity, - a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds, - and a dark shelter under, which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of the slaveholders find the strongest protection”
Frederick Douglas is asserting the idea that slaveowners justify their deeds through their religions. Douglas especially despises them because of their cowardice. He states that nothing is worst (next to slavery) is being enslaved by religious slaveowners. This act oppression is still apparent in our society (outside the Western world). A prime example is how major terrorist and extremist groups justify their acts of violence. They have a profound belief that their actions are blessed by their Divine deity.
"the children, the unconscious children, who once sang and danced in her presence, are gone" I thought this quote was interesting because it kind of reminds me of a story that was written in a later time era "catcher of the rye" where it says in the beginning the unconscious children to me it is saying that to children they don’t see the color if the skin, they don’t see barriers and they don't seem to see any barriers that are between them. It shows the innocence of children. Even though it was a tough time the innocence of children is universal. "I look back to those Sundays with an amount of pleasure not to be expressed. They Were great days to my soul" I thought that this part of Fredrick Douglass life shows how he was a person, he was very humble , it was the little things that made him feel joy in his life, for him teaching people was what he enjoyed doing. During that time it was not allowed to have slaves get an education because it was like a threat that they would progress. It shows how people during that time were. They didn’t want the slaves to have any education. " I NOW come to that part of my during which I planned, and finally succeeded in making" I think that a lot of us can relate this to our daily lives because there are lots of things that are not planned and at times we do know how to react but at times we don't. It shows that even though things don't go as planned sometimes we just have to deal with. But towards the middle he starts to states that even though he went through a lot of trouble there is time to succeed not all things have to go wrong. Very inspiring because Douglass had a rough life and his story is what inspired many people. His life circumstances weren't the best but when you want to succeed you can.
Hello Luz! I loved your post good job! Keep up the good work. I liked your first quote in where you mentioned children who sang and dance that reminded you of a story. I liked how you connected it to a literature book that was very insightful.
"The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longer. He would whip her to make her scream, and whip her to make her hush; and not until overcome by fatigue, would he cease to swing the blood-clotted cowskin. " The quote that I chose would fall under physical and physiological abusive behavior for the fact that the slave owner would continue hitting Fredrick's aunt if she screamed of pain or if she was simply being quite. The abuse was both physical because Fredrick's aunt was enduring the pain and physiological because she would not know how to react because whatever noise she did or did not make she would be whipped until she bled. If I were slave enduring this type of abuse I would go insane because I would not know how to react. My reaction to this form of behavior would be indecisive because as a slave I would not have rights so there was not really a way to escape from this. "If a slave was convicted of any high misdemeanor, became unmanageable, or evinced a determination to run away, he was brought immediately here, severely whipped, put on board the sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to Austin Woolfolk, or some other slave-trader, as a warning to the slaves remaining. " The quote I choose would be a great example for physical abuse because if slaves did not do as they were told they were automatically punished. This quote provides an insight on what exactly would happen to slaves if they broke the law. My reaction to this law would be that it is not justified because they do not have a say in anything or have freedom. As a slave during this time period I would be fearful of breaking the law; therefore, I would not jeopardize my life. "The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and of blasphemy. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving, cutting, and slashing among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful manner. " This quote would be an example of a physiological behavior because even though the quote does describe the actions of a slave owner it represents the emotional harm a slave encounters. It mentions the "field of blood and of blasphemy" and as a slave I would know that the plantations represented a life of hard work and countless emotional abuse. Fear would be instilled into the minds of slaves making it much more difficult to escape.
“It struck me with awful force. It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass. It was a most terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it.”
There is such emotion in this line that it is truly apparent how awful it was to live in slavery. Upon having to finally join the hard work of a slave, Douglass immediately witnesses the severe cruelties that were fact and commonplace for slaves of the time; he is frightened and effected by this. I would say that situations like this are where the mental chains of slavery that were discussed in the introduction video are most apparent. Slave children were exposed to situations like this early on, thus making it seem like the natural thing to do and bear.
“The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and of blasphemy. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving, cutting, and slashing among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful manner.”
It amazes me how incredibly descriptive Douglass was. This is only part of the description of the terrible overseer, and yet so much is described that it is very easy to imagine how frightening it would have been to live in constant fear of someone that you were not allowed to stand up to. This, I believe would have been where more of the physical fear would have sprouted from-the felling of complete helplessness and torture received from their overseers keeping them feeling downtrodden and low.
“The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears. At least, such is my experience. I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.”
I always knew that the songs of the slaves were inspired by their suffering and pain, but I had been under the notion that some were also used for happiness, so this truly was eye-opening for me. It makes it ever more saddening knowing that even something as beautiful as music was a means to let out the sorrow that the slaves were forced to endure throughout their lives and was not able to bring them joy as it may to us in the present day.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Education is a big part in someone’s life. To be educated means to have knowledge of the world around you. When you give opinions and thoughts on current issues, they are clear and thorough because you have the education behind it to support your claim. They say the pen is mightier than the sword; with education behind you, you can go on to do great things. You do not have to resort to violence because someone is insulting you, you can simply stand your ground with words. “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” Someone once said that, “If you can’t make a mistake then you can’t make anything.” This quote states that if there is no struggle than the cause will not be as great. Without struggle there is no achievement. After all the fighting, anger, sadness and setbacks the outcome is greater than you have ever imagined. When the goal has been reached, you look back at it all and say, “you know, that was challenging but I did it.” “A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.” It states that if you give me respect, then I will gladly give you respect. If you do not respect me, than I surely will not respect you. "The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege." When someone has a birthday, it is their special day to celebrate when they were born. But for the slaves, that never happened. Slave owners saw them as a waste of life, not humans but animals that were to be treated as such. Slaves had no idea how old they were or when their birthday came. They were deprived of such a great gift because the slave owners deemed it unnecessary.
Hello Tavon Ghashghai, I definitely liked your 1st quote. I agree that education plays an important part in someones life. It doesn't matter your background but if you educate your self you can get far. Your 2nd quote was amazing, because some people don't realize that success and progress don't come easy, and first there has to be the struggle, because what is difficult it's what is worth the most.
“I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything” I picked this quote because it shows an example of psychological behavior because it explains how he is feeling when his aunt is brutally being beat. This quote is an expression of the hurt mentally and physically Fredrick went through when he was watching and or hearing his aunt being beaten and the fact that their owner found it to be pleasurable to hitting her. Fredrick felt horrible that it was so horrible to witness this and if Fredrick were to say something or react to it he would also get beaten for saying something. I support Fredrick’s emotions on how he felt when his aunt was being beaten so harshly and also having to witness it. The quote is a way of expression the emotion that he went through and how Fredrick is never going to forget something so crucial. "I look back to those Sundays with an amount of pleasure not to be expressed. They were great days to my soul" This is an example of a psychological behavior because it expresses how he felt when he was looking back of his past. The way Fredrick expressed himself in this quote shows the reader what a modest person he was and how he still had some joy in his life. Also, in the time this was accruing Fredrick was teaching slaves and giving them an education, even when he wasn’t permitted. As Fredrick he would have felt very good inside knowing that he is helping other out and making the slaves had some sort of education. “Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions” In the quote above it expresses how Fredrick never got the chance to be loved by his mother. It also expresses how Fredrick never felt his mother’s tender touch and love, and even his mother’s death. He was filled with emotions and reacted to them a certain way. This is an example of a Psychological behavior because it’s expressing the way Fredrick felt when it came down to how he felt about his mother. Fredrick Douglas was psychologically trapped other than physically. In most of the quotes I chose it mentions how you can see how much pain and sorrow he went through mentally. Fredrick was mentally enslaved in his own feelings and views. Having to watch the slaves being beaten and punish so brutally and being deprived of privileges. Fredrick Douglas probably scared because he was always told he couldn't do anything he put his mind to.
-"I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” Fredrick Douglas states in this quote how the slaves didn’t know their own birthday date. It’s sad to realize how people can be really bad with other people and treat them like they have no existence and don’t worth nothing. Back in the days not everybody was born with the privilege of liberty, not even to know the birthday date. It the slaves didn’t even have this small privilege, of course they didn’t have the big and valuable privileges of life. -“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now, “said he,” if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, -- but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” Is incredible how there were and are people that can think this way about other human. The author states that slaves were born to obey and please their masters, without the privilege of learning, because according to him learning is not good for them. I totally disagree with this, because nobody has to be obligated to do something they don’t want to do. And everybody has the right to learn what they want. -“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.” According to Fredrick Douglas, he didn’t even know what day he was born and what his age was, this is surprising because it’s sad how a human being can only be born to be someone else’s slave. Is like a person having no identity. -“Children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed then, they went naked until the next allowance-day.” This quote made me sad, kids have no fault of anything and they are paying something they haven’t committed and only because of their color and appearance.
"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
ReplyDeleteBack then, slaves were not allowed to know their names and ages. While Douglass was a child, he was confused as to why he wasn't allowed the same privilege as the whites such as, being able to know your age.
" I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and , as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man".
In the book Frederick Douglass places a great deal of importance that slaves have to be tricked into accepting that they are slaves. since no person would accept being in that type of condition, there is only one thing masters can do and that is destroy the slaves mental state of mind.
"It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it."
This took place when he witnessed his Aunt Hester being stripped naked and whipped. He tries to describe his emotions of seeing it unfold before him, but fails to do so. There are no words that he is capable of writing down can quite get the point across.
" I have often been utterly astonished, since I cam to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slaves represents the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
People who were in favor of slavery argued that they were happy, stating the fact that they would sing while they are working. But Douglass is saying that this is not the case. slaves don't sing because they are happy, they sing because they are sad. The songs Douglass is talking about are called "sorrow songs".
Tyler, I like how you point out the only way these men could be pushed into slavery is to be tricked. This definitely gives a glimpse of how far the whites went to manipulate the blacks in order to keep their control. Even The little break they are given for Christmas to party is a way for the slaveholders to retain their power over the slaves.
DeleteTyler, I like all the quotes that you find and I also like how you explain each. I see how far the slave owners went to manipulate their slaves. Also, that slave owners use physical and psychological methods to keep their salves under control. I think both of these methods were very efficient and cruel ways that the slave owners used.
DeleteTyler, most of your quotes consist of the slaves feeling. your quotes give me the insight of their confusion on why they are treated differently than white and the horrible treatment some have witness on their own, for example the beating 'til death of other slaves. I liked your last quote because usually you expect someone to sing because they feel happy but in the case of slaves they sing because they are sad and its a way to get their feeling out. Through your quotes i am able to see from the perspective of a slaved person and i can honestly say they went through so much.
DeleteWe will never really understand the horrors the slaves went through. We can get an idea of what they were facing through this reading but as Douglass says ""It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it." There was no way of really expressing what the slaves felt through paper. It was one of those things that could only be experienced by actually being there. Those feelings and emotions the slaves felt I feel are things nobody should go through.
DeleteHi Yessica, yes that was one of the quotes that I was looking for the most because I always hear how people think slaves sing songs because they were happy, but in the back of mind I am thinking how can they be happy with how they were being treated? So I was glad to find Frederick Douglass take on it and as I read the book it made sense of what it actually means
DeleteAntonio, yes it horrible the lengths that they would go just so they can stay in control of them. The physical methods they would use are probably the most frightening to me, I can't imagine how hard it must have been to go through that and being treated as an animal
DeleteThe first quote you have gives the reader a sense that these children were treated as invisible because your name is like your whole identity.
DeleteHello Tyler, I concur with you interpretations on the quotes. It is inhumane not to allow a person to know the date that they were born, especially when there are small children under the age of five that know their birth dates and full names. Many slaves were adults but were given the respect of animals. Controlling another humans life is the job of no man but God.
Delete"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it"(p.19).
ReplyDelete- I took this as a note because it just made me thing that slaves were really not considered people. What person does not know how old they are? His dad which was also his slave owner didn't even care.
"I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day"(p.20).
- He speaks earlier before this quote about how his mother was and in the field before he could wake up. Its crazy a child couldn't even spend time with his own mom.
"...unless he does this, he must not only whip them himself, but must stand by and see one white son tie up his brother, of but few shades darker complexion than himself, and ply the gory lash to his naked back;"(p.21)
- I could not imagine having a child and treating the child like a slave. What he says about his white son having to tie down and beat his brother that is only a few shades darker, how could he? To be hated or whipped by your own blood brother is crazy!
"I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness"(p.30)
- I feel like it was just plain ignorance for the people in the north to think that slaves would be singing their songs in happiness and contentment. Just by the way they're singing I feel that anybody can tell that the slaves were not happy. Also, why would any slave be happy with being a slave every day and night of their lives.
"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears"(p.30).
- It is good that slaves found a way to keep their heads in a time and atmosphere that they were in. "The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart," it's sad, but a good way and almost the only way to be able to let it all out, without getting in trouble.
"I was not allowed to be present during her illness, at her death, or burial. She was gone long before I knew any thing about it"(p.20).
- The fact that FD did not know his mother was dead for a long time is unexceptable to me. He wasn't there to witness her death either. This is more understanding to me because he was only 7, but he should have been able to know that his mother had passed on.
Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger"(p.21).
-FD barely was able to meet his mother because she was always busy with slave work. It's sad that his mothers death did not really mean much to him.
"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"(p.46).
-This will probably be my favorite quote in the whole book. He is basically saying he rather be true to himself and be himself even though other people are criticizing and maybe hate how he is, than be fake and not be himself and be unhappy to make others happy. This is how we all should be!
I think Frederick Douglas was psychologically held captive more than physically. After growing up enslaved with such a rough upbringing and the atmosphere he lived in, watching people get beat to death and himself getting beat had to be rough. I'm sure not many people can come back from that and be able to live a normal life. It is sad what Fredrick Douglas and many others had to go through. After reading what I have in the book I feel like psychologically, Frederick Douglas was kept enslaved.
Melissa, when you bring up the quote of FD's mother I believe their was more to the reason she was unable to see him then slave work. It seemed it was done on purpose in order to take away that close bond of mother and son and replace it with master and slave.
DeleteMelissa I thought you chose very good quotes, especially in which he discusses not knowing his age and how it was common for all slaves to not know their age. To not know who their biological parents are if sold as a young child. And as Talia states it was take away that bond of mother and son and replace it with master and slave. I also agree with him having been psychologically held captive, all the things he had been through was traumatizing and it was never ending so it was just horrific scenes being played over again and wondering when he'll ever be free of it. Unless ending it through a quick death.
DeleteI agree Melissa. Douglas was psychologically enslaved because the pain and sadness he felt will always be there to haunt him. He even said in the book that the ability to think was a curse to him because he opened his eyes to many horrible things. He was never free from the traumatic feelings and scenes as oppose to physical which was only temporarily.
DeleteI completely agree with you Melissa. You had some really good points and some really good explanations. I also agree about what you mentioned about Douglas.
DeleteMelissa, I agree with all the quotes you have point out. Also, I like how you explain each of the quotes and what FD felt. I also agree that Frederick Douglas was psychologically captive than just physically, as you mention even after he grow up he still suffer from what he saw as a little child.
DeleteMelissa I agree with your quotes and points. I agree with everything that you mentioned about Douglass. You show some strong points and he was affected psychologically. Good job!
DeleteI agree with you 100% because you stated some great points and provided evidence along with your statements. Good job!
DeleteMelissa, I loved your quotes, I like how you explained specifically what each of them mean in your point of view. keep up the good work!
DeleteMelissa, I enjoyed reading your quotes they all have a special meaning to them. It talks a lot about how his life was.
Delete"By far the larger part of the slaves know little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant."
ReplyDelete“To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies foe my brethren in bonds.”
“Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.”
“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now, “said he,” if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, -- but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.”
“As I writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy.”
“I have found that, to make a contended slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.”
“I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance.”
Throughout the book when I began picking out these quotes I started to see the many ways slaveholders kept control of their slaves. It was not just the fear of the whip it was also the ignorance to know that there was no reason they should be treated any different than the whites. Fredrick Douglass seemed to be stuck in slavery because he had no certainty that it would ever change. That he would forever be destined to be a slave and escape would only be temporary. The free thoughts of slaves were suppressed and their whole lives distorted to keep them compliant.
Forgot to comment on each quote...here you go
DeleteQuote 1: In this quote FD is already stating that slaves are like farm animals showing they aren't even equivalent to whites.
Quote 2: FD explains how the way the slaves could deal with their awful situations was by singing. And he always associate the pain with these songs.
Quote 3: It's unimaginable how separated from FD was from his mother that he took her death the same as he would a stranger.
Quote 4: In this quote it shows how much slaveholders attributed ignorance as the way to control their slaves.
Quote 5: FD explains how painful knowing about his situation is because of the knowledge he gained.
Quote 6: Thoughtless slaves are easier to control then the ones who have thoughts.
Quote 7: FD explains that while he was younger he did not feel he was prepared to take on the dangers of escaping from slavery.
Hello Talia, Its sad how slcvaes were treated just like animals were, if not even worse. Whites thought they were superior to them and treated them unfairly. Its sad how they also wouldnt allow them to know how old they were or when their birthday was. They would make them feel as if they were unworthy of living.
DeleteTalila, It is really sad to see how the slaves were being treated before. I think that no one should be treated like animals, but during that time that is just the way the white man thought and felt. during that time in society it was acceptable.
Delete"I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday"
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this it really surprised and shocked me. It never occurred to me that the slaves did not even know their own age. People celebrate their birthday to celebrate their birth into the world. Not having any knowledge of your birth date because it is purposely withheld is like saying your very existence does not matter. Something simple as knowing one's birthday allows a person to feel like their existence matters, and the slaves did not have that. It brought about a feeling of sadness when I read this section.
"It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass...I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it."
Frederick Douglass' description of his first time witnessing someone being whipped is frightening. He himself is at a loss of words to describe his own feelings of the incident. As I read on I find it disgusting and horrible that the men doing this actually took pleasure in doing so. It makes me wonder how people where able to ignore and act like this treatment towards another human being was normal.
"The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my check."
This quote is said regarding Douglass' memory and feelings towards the songs the slaves would sing. I feel this is an example of the lingering psychological damage Douglass carries with him throughout his lifetime. He even cries thinking back on the depressing songs that were sung. In the North, people would mistake these songs for "contentment and happiness." When in reality it was far from that.
Hi Anna, I thought that the quotes you had chosen were great especially having mentioned how Frederick Douglass had dealt with his own personal psychological damage. It wasn't just physical damage, and thinking back about the truth that was behind the songs that were sung and how unaware people were of their true meanings.
DeleteHello Anna, as i was reading your quotes you pointed out some great points about how disgusting and horrible people were to slaves. This should not have ever happened. You had some good points and your points made me feel how the slaves felt back then. I really enjoyed your reading.
DeleteHi Maria, thanks I wanted to try to explain myself about how I thought of the book through the quotes i picked.
DeleteHi Jisel, I agree that this never should have happened, but it did regrettably.
Hey Anna, i think you are right that Douglass is psychologically damaged. I think what kept slaves in slavery is their lack of being able to learn and advance. If you keep someone uneducated they won't know their own worth, holding them back from what they could be.
DeleteAnna, Douglass was definitely emotionally and psychologically damaged and scarred for his life. The things he saw could not be erased and I can not imagine what it would be like. The crazy part is to think that all we get to read is the bits and pieces of his life in this story but yet there is so much more to it. More hurt and pain then we could ever imagine or even try to place ourselves in his shoes.
DeleteIt is hard for people who are not slaves to really understand the struggles a slave faced everyday. A perfect example of this was the songs the slaves sung. These songs had two completely different interpretations between slaves and free people. I can only imagine how slaves felt when people would praise the songs they sung when to them they brought nothing but sorrow.
DeleteHey Anna,
DeleteI completely agree with you, in my family, birthdays are so important. The fact that the slaves had absolutely no idea when there birthday was, is heartbreaking. I also cannot imagine going through everything Douglas went through. Great job on the quotes.
Hi anna, I know it really is sad to see that people don't even know how old they are. People back then are so harsh on the slaves from treating them very poorly. But as mentioned above we do not understand the struggles of the slaves.
Delete“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.”
ReplyDelete- Frederick Douglas explains how all slaves did not have any recollection of their age, nor were they allowed to know. Slave owners had felt that it was important for their slaves to stay ignorant and to stay obedient and well behaved in order to avoid punishment from the master’s.
“I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me in the night. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone.”
- In the narrative of Frederick Douglass he points how common it was for a mother and child to be separated when the child turns twelve months old and sold in which the purpose he didn’t entirely understand but maybe for both to lose affection for one another and just continue and being an empty, meaningless life as a slave. Yet, I found it interesting that FD’s mother still made the time to visit him when he as a child.
“She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my master’s farms, near Lee’s Mill. I was not allowed to be present during her illness, as her death or her burial. She was gone too long before I knew anything about it. Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.”
- I feel that this here is just more in depth of how slave holders would separate their slaves from their loved ones in order to strip away any feelings that they have so that it will keep them focused on the work they were assigned to do.
“ They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep; for when their day’s work in the field is done, the most of them having their washing, mending, and cooking to do, and having few or none of the ordinary facilities for doing either of these, very many of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing for the field the coming day; and when this is done, old and young, male and female, married and single, drop down side by side, on one common bed,-the cold, damp floor,-each covering himself or herself with their miserable blankets; and here they sleep till they are summoned to the field by the driver’s horn.”
- Frederick Douglass explains the hardships that slaves had to endure that there was not even time to worry about having a bed when there was no time to actually sleep when there was much work to get done. Not just work that is given to them by their masters but their own personal work of cooking and mending clothes, taking care of children. So much was to be expected that if there was one mistake the punishment would end up being tens times as worse as the workload given.
I agree Maria. The quotes that you've mention shows how the slaves owners don't care for their slaves existence. They deprived them from privileges such as knowing their age and knowing their mother to keep them ignorant. It's very sad to know that they were deprived of these things especially the privilege of knowing and having a bond with your own mother.
DeleteShe died when I was about seven years old, on one of my master’s farms, near Lee’s Mill. I was not allowed to be present during her illness, as her death or her burial. She was gone too long before I knew anything about it. Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.
DeleteIts sad that he felt the same emotions as if she were a stranger.
The slaves were treated very bad. But to deprive them from knowing the little things like their mothers is very sad. it kind of shows how much his mother has an impact on his life
Delete“The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (19).
ReplyDeleteThis quote was note worthy because it speaks loud and clear that the mere existence of the slaves did not matter, and to show that their mere existence was of only a worker. Nothing less and nothing more.
“Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions” (21).
Just as the first quote, another privilege that was deprived from slaves/ child was the bond of their mother. Here, Douglas talks about how he never enjoyed or was blessed with her presence. How he never felt his mother’s tender touch and love, and even his mother’s death, he was deprived of the emotions he should have felt towards her mother because he never knew the emotions or feelings of having a mother.
“The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek… those songs still follows me, to deepen my hatred of slavery” (30).
This quote shows how the sadness and the pain of the other slaves really touch Douglas. It shows how much he sympathize their sadness; it shows how much he loathed slavery. Watching them being punished and beaten and hearing them sing such a sorrow song calls out to him. This quote shows how much slavery has affected him psychologically.
“In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity…. Any thing, no matter what, to get rid of thinking” (54).
This quote speaks how Douglass is affected psychologically. He says he envies his fellow slaves because of their stupidity so he can get rid of thinking. Thinking for Douglas opened his eyes to the “horrible pits” and no way of getting out of it. During that time, reading and thinking made him hate his master because he felt like their masters left their home and went to Africa and stole them from their homes to make them slaves. This quote is so strong because the ability to think should be a blessing, but Douglas felt during that time was that the ability to think was a curse.
Douglas was psychologically enslaved than physically. In some of the quotes I mention, you can see how much pain and sorrow he went through mentally. How he was mentally enslaved in his own thoughts. Watching his fellow slaves being beaten and punish, being deprived of privileges, not being able to know his mother, etc psychologically enslaved him because the pain and sorrow will always be there oppose to physical pain which is only temporary.
Hi Mary, we had similar view points about the book. I agree with you that the fact that he mentioned he knew no slave who knew his own birthday was because their existence was not worth it. Also, on the issue that he is more psychologically damaged than physically damaged. I agree with you on that.
DeleteMary, I couldn't agree with you more. Frederick has a few examples of how he could be physically enslaved, but the majority of what he had to go through and what he had to see, seemed to hit him more psychologically than anything else. And of course, I don't blame him one bit. All of that pain and suffering, just like you said, would be tough for anyone.
DeleteMary, my attention was caught on the same quote as you did about Douglass not remembering his own mother. He was departed from his mother at a young age and has seen more than any kid at a young age would regarding death, punishment, hunger, and the horrible life slaved people had. Although Douglass escaped from being enslaved, i doubt anyone has escaped from the psychological impact it has made in his life.
DeleteAbsolutely crazy to think that he envied the thoughtfulness of other slaves in moments of struggle. Douglass knew the importance of education, but living the life that he did, it must have been very difficult to see those around him surrender to enslavement becasue their minds had been conditioned that way. I am sure to understand what was happeing and how cruel and unjust such treatment was would be almost unbearable, during that hardship he must have felt that ignorance would be bliss, but he knew better which later to lead him to freedom.
DeleteAll the quotes you chose, show how stark the life of a slave was. The mental and physical deprivation is hard for us to fully comprehend in our day and age. What is so awe inspiring, though, about Douglas was that he was a man, like you and me, who experienced such unfortunate means and over came them.
DeleteAs for his envy of the uneducated slaves: knowledge is powerful but it can also be isolating. He bore that struggle with his head held high even as he wrote the pains it caused him.
A truly powerful figure with an understanding that transcended his time.
“Children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed then, they went naked until the next allowance-day.”
ReplyDelete-The quote that I selected would be an example of physical behavior, only because what I chose was explaining what was occurring each year and how they were dressed and how they suffered without having anything to cover themselves with. If I was the slave I was a slave I would be sad to think no matter what I only had certain amount of clothes a year and if something happened to the clothes they would go to work naked. My reaction to this would be that it’s sad that theses slaves have to go through this torture knowing that they have certain amount of clothes for the year and the way the slaves work it is really hard to take good care of the clothes they are provided with.
“He singed to take pleasure manifesting his fiendish barbarity. Added to his cruelty, he was profane swearer.”
-This quote that I chose was a physiological behavior, only because it shows how this slave would be treated so badly that the slaves would have to be doing something to either make there selves feel better, and they did it by singing. I feel that the slaves felt that the singing would help one another bring some happiness in singing together. I support the slaves and what they did to help one another feel better and give them some hope that they can go through this and help them feel better towards each other. I also think that they sang to make the situation that the slaves were in a lot better.
“Sometimes thought that the mere hearing of those songs would do more to impress some minds with the horrible character of slavery, and then the reading of whole volume of philosophy of the subject could do.”
-This quote is a great example of the physiological behavior, because it explains exactly what the slaves felt and was doing to help one another out on how to get through the tough situations. By singing the slaves would sing along to each other to make the day on being hurt mentally and physically a bit better. I think this quote is a physiological one because it shows how the hearing of the song singing made their minds not think so much about the hurt and a little more on hope.
“A city slave is almost a freeman, compared with a slave on the plantation. He is much better fed and clothed, and enjoys privileges altogether unknown to the slave on the plantation.”
-What this quote states here is that a slave that was in the city was freer than a typical slave on the plantation. This states that salves were treated horribly on the plantation and they would run away and be free from their master. A city slave was a free man and he could do what he wishes he may, but a plantation slave would be imprisoned there forever. It also states that he much rather be fed that clothed, which means that this is a very good example of physical behavior. It is an example of physical behavior because, any slave did not care how he was dressed, but he would be just fine with food and water.
Fredrick Douglas was psychologically enslaved than physically. In his quotes that I mentioned you can see how much pain he went through mentally and how he was mentally imprisoned in his very own thoughts. After growing up enslaved with such a rough upbringing and the atmosphere he lived in, he watched his former slaves are beaten and punish to death and also, not being able to know who his mother is and so much more. Fredrick was psychologically enslaved with the pain he went through and that would last him a lifetime.
Jisel, I like all the quotes that you find especially the one about “A city slave is almost a freeman”. As you mention, slaves that work in the plantations were treated horribly and that’s why they run away. However, I think that a city slaves was not free because he or she still had to serve their masters, but they were better off than those that worked in the plantations. Lastly, I agree that FD was psychologically enslaved than physically.
DeleteA majority of us all feel the same towards the quotes being posted. We feel as though they're wrong and we feel bad for the slaves. I agree with you on the fact of how much harm they were caused both psychologically and physically. They endured hardships we could never even imagine doing ourselves. So great job on the quotes!
DeleteJisel I enjoyed reading your quotes. I believe that slavery is a cruel act towards human beings because no human being should be treated as an animal. As you mentioned slaves were treated horribly and that is why they ran away. I honestly do not blame them and I would do the same. No person would like to live under these conditions. I totally agree with your points. Great job!
DeleteHey Jisel,
DeleteI completely agree with you Douglas was definitely imprisoned mentally. I liked when you also stated that singing for the slaves was better for them. I think it was a good pick me up for them. They had no other way to express themselves other than song.
Jisel, I completely agree with you on how Douglass faced more of a mental enslavement rather a physical one. I also feel like everything that happened to him during his life always stayed with him because it was so very impacting and I don't blame him because if I were in his shoes I would probably feel the same.
DeleteHello Jisel, as i was reading your quotes you brought up some very significant points and views on your chose of quotes. I really liked how you explained all of the quotes and how they were either a psychological or physical and explained it very clearly. I also agree that he was mentally enslaved. You brought up some good points and make it very intriguing.
Delete“I have found that, to make a contended slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote really struck me as I found that many who are trying to keep control of another keep them in a state where their ability to judge what is going on or the true facts are suppressed. ex. North Korea.
"If you teach that nigger(speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. it would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. it would make him discontented and unhappy."
This quote supports my point that once a slave learns they would be able to decide for themselves what is right.
"they seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!"
I found this quote sad as the slaves did not look upon themselves for what they were but for what their masters were.
"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it"
This quote shocked me a little bit as it was my thinking that everyone would know their age taking for granted my ability to count.
Jon, I really enjoyed reading your quotes. There were a couple that really stuck out to me. First off, the quote about reading and education only being harm to slaves and not helpful because the slaves did want them to be intelligent in any way. They thought of a slave being unfit if he knew how to read and write. The masters made it seem like such a bad thing so that no one wanted to try to learn. The other quote that caught my eye was the age one. Could you imagine not knowing how old you are? We often take it for granted and think that it is normal to know how old we are, who are parents are and little pieces of our childhood but these slaves weren't even allowed to have knowledge of it.
DeleteJon, I also really liked the quotes that you picked, especially the first and second one. They really seem to say that slaves were supposed to have no opinions and no knowledge of anything. They were just meant to work and do what they are told, not much else. To me, it feels as if Frederick Douglas actually believes some of this to be true. Although I haven't finished the book yet, so I am really hoping that his perception of slavery changes.
DeleteHi, Jon. I really like your first quote for me it goes with the quote, "Once you learn to read, you will forever be free." This is because without being educated it is less likely to question certain things or even rebel. A slave that doesn't know better is less likely to cause problems.
Delete“I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday… The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.”
ReplyDeleteThe slaves were deprived of even just the little things, such as knowing how old you are. It seems like jealousy started young because the white children were able to know their age.
“My father was a white man. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me.”
The idea that his father was the white master is just crazy to think about. Whether the master forced his mom or not, he kept his son without knowledge of who is father was and even worse, he made Frederick work for him as a slave. The phrase, “I know nothing,” says it all. The slaves were not allowed to have much knowledge and were often sheltered to keep them that way. The masters wanted to keep them naïve of the outside world and feared they might try to run away or rise up if they got too smart.
“The men and women slaves received as their monthly allowance of food, eight pound of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars.”
To think that that is all they were allowed for a month’s worth of food and a year’s worth of clothes is crazy. They were given so little, and expected to live off of the bare minimums. I bet it was such a relief when it came time to switch out their clothes from the rags they had to the new set. The clothes and food they were given was just about all they had and they were thankful to receive it. The slaves were treated so poorly and in such an inhumane way, it was only time until someone stood up and said enough is enough.
I definitely agree with you in terms of how crazy the situations not only Douglass endured, but also the rest of the slaves during that time. It's sad to think that all slaves were taken advantaged of just because the "masters" wanted certain work done.
Delete"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant."
ReplyDelete"For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child's affection toward its mother, and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child. This is the inevitable result."
"Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year."
Last 3 chapters of the 1st chapter giving a detailed description of the whippings that many of the slaves had to endure.
I chose the first 2 quotes as examples of possibly the psychological chains that Frederick Douglas might be experiencing, holding him to slavery. As soon as you begin reading this narrative, Frederick describes details feelings of what it is like to be a slave in America. The masters were cruel to the slaves, not allowing them to live a normal life, like the "white children" were able to. The second 2 quotes were my interpretation of some of the physical chains that are holding Frederick to slavery. The end of chapter 1 was very difficult to read. It almost seems unreal that people could be so cruel to others, but the reality is that all of that actually did happen... to people that didn't nearly deserve that kind of treatment. The slaves were treated like animals, and Frederick even seems to feel this himself, which can be seen in the first quote. Their emotional ties broken, their physical bodies treated as nothing.
Hi Kaleigh, I agree on how you feel about the first chapter. I know that we all know that slaves were treat unfair but this book just takes people to another level of understanding how bad they were treated. Best part of this book is that every page is interesting.
Delete"I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. I was myself within the circle, so that i neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear."
ReplyDelete- Frederick Douglas, in this quotes, refers to the depressing songs the African American slaves sang. While those outside the circle, sought to believe that the songs were cheerful & happy, those inside knew the literal meaning to it and the depressing message it carried."
"While i was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, i was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, i had gained from my master."
- Douglas, in this quote, expresses two emotions. He is saddened because his educator is order to no longer serve him for education because it was said that it would interfere the duty of a slave. Yet expresses appreciation & happiness towards his educator for showing him new ways of life and education that he sought to know before.
"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent her soothing presence, her tender & watchful care, I received the tidings of death with much the same emotions i should have probably felt at the death of a stranger."
-This quotes depicts the emptiness he felt being separated from his mother at birth, never getting a chance to feel & experience the nurture of his mother. Instead, he experienced the death, in which of a stranger.
“I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me at night.”
ReplyDeleteI find it sad that his own mother could not be there to watch him grow up. His mother had to walk twelve miles just to see him, and it was only after a long hard day at work. Since his mother endured such hard labor, she died early in life; Douglass was only seven when his mother died. How is it fair that the white children can see their parents 24/7, yet the black children were separated from their families if needed so?
“To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery.”
Slavery is dehumanizing no matter what way you think about it. A majority of these slaves had no choice whether they wanted to do this or not; others were born into slavery. Slavery is dehumanizing because it harms a person’s physical and emotional self; they are being physically beaten while emotionally hurting inside as well.
“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in their hands, and soon commenced its infernal work.”
These white families had the power, they had superiority over the African American slaves and there was no way around it. They had been granted a power that should never have been given out because whites, along with blacks, were all humans. They should have ALL been treated equally and given the same rights from the beginning. The poison was the concept of slavery, and it was a living hell for the slaves.
“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master-to do as he is told. Learning will spoil the best nigger in the world..”
This is the way a majority of the whites felt; they felt that the slaves were inferior to them. They believed they would turn at any chance they got or take advantage of a situation. To the whites, it was unlawful to try and teach a slave what the whites already new. It would let the slave think as though they were on the same level as the whites, which wasn't true at all.
Hi Lisandra , well I like the quotes you have found . I also like the way you have explained each one with great detail. It just shows how bad these slaves were treated.
DeleteLisandra I agree with you on your first quote. If my mom had to walk 12 miles to see me at night, she would resign from the position of being my mother. I just can't cant put myself in a position to do that to somebody else.
DeleteI know these people were treated horribly . I just think that not just you would resign but a lot of woman from this period of time would also because now we all live in different times.
Delete“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. “
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me the most on Chapter 1 because the first thing in the chapter that stood out me was this. I just feel that I am not the only one who will bring great importance to this sentence in chapter 1. It just makes me to value the things around me more and one other thing is to come to thought that we people of today take small little things for granted which in reality small things have bigger importance.
“By far the horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.”
I totally 100 percent agree with this sentence. I just feel that not only in the past people who were seen as ignorant were treated badly but also this still goes on. I have been a witness to see people get treated bad only because they do not speak English or because they have no education people tend to treat these people badly and different. It just makes me angry.
“The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing the means of knowing was withheld from me.”
When reading this sentence I was a little shocked. He is basically saying that his master is dad. I just can not understand why his father does this to his own son.
“I never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was very short in duration, and at night.”
This kind of treatment of slavery was bad. Okay one thing is to have people work but to keep them away from their mothers like this is torment. I think that these people who were separating children from their moms are cruel and more ignorant than they think the slaves were.
" The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why i ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
ReplyDelete- Douglass was departed form his mom at a very young age as other African american children are, and that's the reason why they have no idea of when their birthday is. African american children are too young to understand the discrimination and difference between African Americans and whites.
"...i know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me."
- Douglass knows very little of his origin because slaves are deprived from nothing further more about their life. Slaves are prohibited to knowing more than what they should.
" The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tear."
-People usually sing when they are happy, in the circumstances of a slave, they sing because they are unhappy. This quote is comparing how songs relieve pain like tears is to get rid of the pain they feel in their heart.
" If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell"
- African Americans were not allowed to do nothing than obey their masters like mentioned in the book. If a slave was to learn how to read and write then they would learn how to take advantage and be free.
" It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out."
-Some slaves witness the beating an or murder of another slave with their own eyes, that it made them realize on the horrible situation they were in as being a slave and to know that there was no way out.
“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me because it showed how the slave owners were dehumanizing the slaves. The slave owners were in some ways turning the slaves into animals. They sought out to make the slaves into mindless workers who's only purpose was to follow orders. It is a shame because you never know how many great minds and people might of been among those slaves that we will never know about.
"I was afraid to speak to any one if fear of speaking to the wrong one, and thereby falling into the hands of money-loving kidnappers, whose business it was to lie in wait for the panting fugitive, as the ferocious beast of the forest lie in wait for their prey"
Here we can see how even tho Frederick Douglass had escaped slavery and was now in a free state he still struggled with the issues of being a former slave. Douglass was extremely lonely and could not share his struggles with no one, he was somewhat still a slave but now a slave of his own fear. His days as a slave trained him to be weary of other men. Douglass even said his motto was "Trust no man!". Slaves always had to live in fear free or not.
Hello Mauricio,
DeleteI agree with your comment on your first quote. I find it very disheartening of the owners to brainwash and physically abuse the slaves.They did not even treat them as humans anymore, but rather as animals. How could they be so cruel and selfish? Reading about the details of Frederick's account deeply saddens me that African Americans had to deal with this.
America was a highly hypocritical country, it wanted freedom, but deprived others of freedom.
Mauricio your first quote stood out to me as well. These slave owners were purely cruel people. They were practically training them to be robots, and treating them as if they weren't apart of the human race. Many of those slaves could have very well been leading intellectual or inventors at the time, but they never go the chance.
DeleteI agree with your first quote. it is sad to think that they could make the slaves content in some way. the slave owners were very cruel to all the slaves.
Delete“I received the tiding of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger” (21).
ReplyDeleteThis quote was one of most dramatically ones that I read. I can’t image how a little boy would deal with the death of his own mother; I think it would be very hard. However, Frederick Douglass felt “nothing” like when a stranger dies. I think this was why newborn slaves very separated from their moms; to break the bond between the mom and the child. This was a psychological way of slavery rather than physically slavery.
“I am going away to the Great House Farm! O, Yea! O, Yea! O!” (29).
This quote intrigues me because it was song that the slaves sang when going to the Great House Farm. When Frederick Douglass heard for the first time he did not understand the meaning of the song. I believed that slaves sang this song because they were “happy” because they were going to the Great House Farm because they were giving monthly allowances. However, they were treated badly and inhumanly. This way of thinking that the Great House Farm was a good place was a psychological trick that the slave owners invented so that slaves wouldn’t escape.
“This is the penalty of telling the truth, of telling the simple truth, in answer to a series of plain questions” (35).
I like this quote because this occurs when a slave was ask by his master (he did not he was he was his master) whether his master treat him well, the slave answer “no”, then the coronel ask him “What, does he work you too hard?”, the slave answered “Yes, sir” and the coronel continue to ask him more questions. Well, after few weeks the salve was sold just for telling the truth. I believed this was a psychological way of slavery because the slave were not allow to tell the truth when it came to answering questions regarding to their masters because they did not what could happened to them for just telling the truth.
“It was a common saying, even among little white boys, that it was worth a half-cent to kill a ‘nigger,’ and a half-cent to bury one” (41).
This quote impressed me because slave owners and most whites considered the death of a slave worthless and that it was not even worth a cent. I think this is why slave owners did all kinds of atrocities to their slave because they didn’t consider humans. Also, killing a slave was not persecuted or even consider a crime.
Overall, slaves were psychologically enslave because of the thing they make them believed and think. They were not allow to know how to read or write, this was done in order to be able to easily control them. Nevertheless, physically enslave was also a method that slave owners used as well.
“He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with his many stripes.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how rutheless some slave owners or “Masters” were to their slaves. Frederick Douglass is constantly stating how mean his own master was. Slaves would be beaten, starved, and whipped for many reasons, most of which because of disobeying their master. When a slave disobeys they were properly punished to ensure obedience, no slave owner wants a disobedient slave.
“I do not remember to ever have met a slave who can tell of his birthday”
Most slaves weren’t givin any information about their birthdate or family. Most had no idea of their age. I just think it would be crazy to live your life and not know how old you are.
I agree with your second quote. it is sad to know that slaves didn't know their age. the slave owners treated them like animals.
Delete"The slaves selected to go to the Great House Farm, for the monthly allowance for themselves and their fellow-slaves, were peculiarly enthusiastic" (8).
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how subjective life is. It is sad that someone living with such low societal standards sees something that would be exciting.
"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The song of the slave represents the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears" (9). This sounds like universal coping mechanism. Nowadays, people release their emotions in music whether they are listening to it or recording it.
"They seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferrable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed" (12).
This reveals that there was a social class among slaves, and to be a poor man's slave was to be on the bottom. I find it sad that they were happy to be a slave of a rich man. they deemed themselves to better if society was better for their master.
Heather, your second quote was very interesting. I totally agree that even to today people use music to express how they are feeling whether it is bad or good. It is the words that we can never say out loud or can never put together but yet to music it all fits. The next quote shows us that they base their status off their owner and not themselves. They do not seem to have a sense of self worth, it is about how rich or powerful their master is. It is sad to see they even had the lows of the lows and that even the slaves thought of the poor man's slaves as a disgrace. Good quotes!
DeleteHeather, I agree with your first and third quote. First, the fact that slaves found it exciting to go to another plantation (Great House Farm) which houses many slaves. This demonstrates the hopelessness and disturbing, harsh life that slaves had to deal with. It appears to me that at this point the slaves began to think less of themselves because they accepted such conditions and even got excited about going to the Great House Farm. My thoughts on your third quote were that it was considered to be worse to be a poor man's slave rather than a rich man's slave because they probably got less food, clothing for the year, etc. Those slaves who had poor owners probably wished they were with a rich owner. Very few slaves would think of freedom at this point.
Delete" I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason.”
ReplyDelete-For a slave to be content, he must not use any of his own thoughts. It is crazy because I know that if I saw something unfair, I would want to speak up. Slaves were not able to speak their minds and I think that is horrible.
"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy.”
-Slaves had a way of showing their unhappiness in a way that did not really sound like nagging or complaining. Instead, the slaves sang. Singing was a way to let their feelings out.
“It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed"
-The poorer the master, the cheaper the slave was considered since people figured that poor a man would not be able to afford a good enough slave. The richer men had money to pay for the best, hardworking, slaves.
I also gravitated to the quotes that talked about a contented or obedient slave is a thoughtless one. I think it goes to show that slaves felt entrapped by their minds and what they were convinced they were capable of, not just physically witheld and beaten brutally. The attacks on the minds of slaves was as powerful as any.
DeleteIt is rather interesting that many of us seem to have an inclination about the psychological ways Slaveholders used to break their slaves' will to obtain freedom. It is immeasurably cruel to put a man in such psychological and physical torture. The slaves were predisposed to the idea that slavery is indeed a way of living, they were manipulated to believe this idea by making them 'thoughtless...and {annihilating} the power of reason.'
DeleteNever having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger
ReplyDeleteI thought that this quote was really important because here we meet Douglass n a personal way. Here we can see how Douglass’s master takes him away from the arms of his mother soon after birth. He shares he did not feel that love because he did not get the opportunity to live with his mother and share her warmth and love. He missed the presence of a mother and explains that her death was that of a stranger because he did not have a mother. Here we can see how Douglass explains the cruel way that slaves are treated. Their masters treat them worse than animals.
In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death.
Here Douglass explains his plan to escape from slavery. He explains the extreme danger that slaves go through to escape. Their liberty is much compared to death because their liberty costs them their life. Douglass tries to tell us that slavery is worse than death because they suffer. Slaves are treated brutally and suffer through their lives.
Without struggle there is no success.
Here I believe that Douglass in some way grew as a person. He was shaped by everything that happened in his life. He suffered a lot because he did not have the chance to live a regular childhood life. He did not get the chance to feel the love of a mother. Something that affected him tremendously.
For the first quote, I agree with what you stated. I would like to add that the process by which the slaveowners separate the mothers and their children is a common practice. According to Frederick Douglas, this method represses the slaves and takes away any emotional attachment between the Parent and Child.
DeleteAnd for the Patrick Henry reference in his quote, I believe that Frederick Douglas meant that the slaves shall yearn from freedom even if it means dying trying to attain it. "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
“Few privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out-farms, than that of being selected to do errands at the Great House Farm” (7).
ReplyDeleteThe fact that slaves even considered the Great House Farm a privilege displays their hopelessness and the even more terrible life they were living at their own farm.
“I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (24).
I found this quote to be very sad, but hopeful. The only reason that Frederick still wanted to live was his hope. Had it not been for his hope, despite the many treacherous experiences he has witnessed. I find it very disturbing that the colonists could such awful things as to make people wish they were dead instead of living a terribly life of slavery. When we learned about the information that the colonies wanted to become a free, independent country, I was proud that they fought for their rights. However, I am disgusted by the way in which they decide to make the nation prosper; having slaves.
“ I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything”
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglass’ description of what he went through is horrifying. I cannot imagine being awaken by the screams of my aunt and not being able to do anything about it. The fact that his owner found pleasure in beating his aunt, and would beat her the louder she l screamed is so shocking. It’s even more disturbing that Douglas had to see this occur, and was even beaten himself. He even states that there are no words to describe those awful occurrences.
“Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year.”
This quote is from the passage that states that the slave children were living in such horrible conditions. When they had no clothes to wear they would be naked until the next payment. Douglas states that throughout all the seasons children were naked whether they were fighting harsh weather. The slave owners did not care about the kids, the only thing that was important to them was their crops.
‘The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they would come and devour the mush; some with oyster-shells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked hands, and none with spoons.”
This quote ripped me apart. It’s so difficult to believe that such cruel behavior was accepted. No one was given any utensils or even nutritious food to live off of. These children were literally treated like animals and there was no one there that could do anything about it. I can just imagine seeing these kids being happy with the little they had. This quote, and the reading definitely put things in perspective for me.
Frederick Douglas was psychologically trapped as he was mentally. I think that Douglas probably feared wanting more because he was always told he couldn't do anything. He overcame so many things, that have shaped him to the man he was.
Hello Anna, I really enjoyed reading your second quote and your opinion on it. I agree with you very much. Its sad knowing that all they cared about back then was their crops and not children. Children are our future and they shouldnt be treated like animals. Just like you said, this reading definitely put things in perspective for me as well.
DeleteHello Anna, i wanted to say you had a very good chose of quotes. I liked that you mentioned a lot about the children and how they suffered when they were young. I was cruel how they were treated and I agree that the behavior they had was unacceptable.
Delete“I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy.”
ReplyDeleteWithout the ability to read, most slaves had very little understanding of the situation that they were stuck in. They main source of knowledge they had was from their masters and even then that was corrupted and scarce. With the ability to read, slaves were able to read about what was going on in the states, and see that not everyone lived in terrible conditions as themselves. With the knowledge Frederick had, realizing that he was in such a terrible situation fueled his hatred and anger. He saw how inhumane these people were, and lacking the ability to fight it, caused him to despise his ability to read.
“The first step had been taken. Mistress in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.”
With these small learning steps, it was enough for Frederick to ignite a desire to learn more. He had learned from his master that giving a slave the ability to read would make the slave worthless to the master and only cause problems. This helped Frederick realize that path to becoming free, would begin with learning how to read. With so much passion behind his master’s assertion of preventing him to learn, he knew it was a treasure worth fighting for.
“I had two sisters and one brother that lived in the same house with me; but the early separation of us from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact of our relationship from our memories.”
Here Douglass shows how emotionless he is when it comes to his family. He hardly even considers themselves a family. This gives us an insight what happened when families were formed during slavery. He shows us how not only does slavery break up families; it also prevents them from happening.
Michael, I agree with your interpretation of the first quote. Learning to read was very important as a slave because not many had the opportunity to learn because according to the whites they weren't meant to have education they were meant for labor. But with the ability to read they were also exposed to the reality of the word. It must have been hard for a slave to have to go through that.
Delete“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
ReplyDeleteSeriously! how inspiring is this quote?? This quote has such a powerful message to it. This quote means if you are educated and willing to let yourself be free of your troubles, then you can overcome anything wiht a wide and open educated mind. It also says that a person should allow themselves to be aware that all citizens had the right to be free.
“Without a struggle, there can be no progress.”
This quote explains how if you don't fight for what you want than you will never have the feeling of feeling the full satisfaction of fighting for your goal.
“A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.”
This quote relates to the saying of "if your respect me then I respect you" statement. Enough said.
Hey Virginia! I liked your first quote but I love second quote better!
DeleteThe first quote, is in fact true and even in our lives today. You need to struggle with life in order to have more development. There is always hope even if there are many restrictions. Nice!
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DeleteI love the first quote you chose Virginia. It is very inspiring and I believe it is true even now because the more knowledge you gain the more possibilities you have of different careers to choose from.
DeleteHello Virginia, I love your responses!! All your quotes are very meaningful quotes. Especially the first one, Its extremely powerful because once one is educated there is nothing or anyone whom can stop you from overcoming anything! Education is KEY.
DeleteI like your second quote. It is true that if there is no struggle than the cause might not be all that great. We need setbacks to drive us to keep going towards our goals and dreams.
Delete"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
ReplyDeleteCould you imagine what it would feel like to not even know the date of your own birth, as if you weren’t even human? Wild animals are born daily without knowing the exact day and time of their birth, but it doesn’t feel as bad because no wild animal is aware of when he or she arrived on this planet. This is a time when Black people weren’t able to know when they were born in order to make them believe that they were as irrelevant as they were treated. They watched white individuals as they celebrated their birthdates which created the thought that only white people were worthy of knowing theirs date of birth. Many Black people had to settle with only knowing the season of which they were born, giving them little information about their actual age.
“I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance.”
Douglass always had it in his mind to make his escape but he hadn’t thought about it rationally yet. This procedure was far too dangerous to make any mistakes and Douglass had it in his mind that he would live harmlessly as a free man. There must have been pain present from seeing how happily free men seem while he viewed himself in such harsh situations.
"It was a terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it."
I don’t believe that there are any words to even describe the harsh environments slaves endured. It only mad it worst that little and sometimes no earnings were received in compensation for all of the hard work that they were put through.
Hi Edwin. I totally agree with your interpretations of the quotes. I liked the first and second quotes. The first one, I could not believe it when I read it. Slaves were treated like animals and Animals do not know the exact date it was born like you mentioned which I agree.
DeleteThe second quote, I also loved. Thinking and wishing about freedom is a dream come true for slaves. Planning an escape sounds easy but it is not. I can't imagine the consequences for runaway slaves. More harsh than the whip. Slave owners are inhumane.
Hi Edwin, i also agree with your interpretations of the quotes. Its very sad that slaves did not know their birthdays and the comparison to animals is very heart breaking. It is also very inspiring that Douglass always had the idea to escape. He didn't just dwell and deal with being a slave for the rest of his life, he knew he would escape and that was his salvation.
DeleteThe two quotes I chose and found most interesting
ReplyDelete“Here, too, the slaves of all the other farms received their monthly allowance of food, and their yearly clothing. The men and women slaves received, as their monthly allowance of food, eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal. Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars. The allowance of the slave children was given to their mothers, or the old women having the care of them. The children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed them, they went naked until the next allowance-day. Children from seven to ten years old, of both sexes, almost naked, might be seen at all seasons of the year.”
This quote shows how slaves were treated. They were dehumanized almost completely. It also shows how most slave owners are greedy and selfish. In this particular quote, slaves were given not enough food and clothing. If they were to run out of food within the first month, I believe that they would have a chance of not surviving and the slave owners will not care at all since they are almost treated as objects. Slaves are not paid at all most of the time. Slave owners should at least consider their Slave’s health. Not only adult slaves were treated as objects but also children most of the time. This quote shows the harsh conditions slave children went through. Even though this quote is just from a slave owner, I believe most slave owners consider these methods as normal which means almost all slaves had suffered horrible treatment and dehumanization.
“She was a field hand, and a whipping is the penalty of not being in the field at sunrise, unless a slave has special permission from his or her master to the contrary”
Frederic Douglas’ mother was separated from him. Slave owners are going too far with dehumanization. Slaves do have families and they want to be with them but slavery is the barricade for this. This particular quote also shows how violent the punishments were if slaves disobeyed. Slave owners would whip the slaves with such force that their backs are scarred permanently. Very harsh treatments and no freedom for slaves. I believe if slaves said the wrong word to their “masters,” then they would also get whipped. This quote shows that slave owners are monsters and treat their slaves as animals. Slave owners believe they are powerful so they treat slaves as low peasants but with harsh conditions. As I read the Autobiography, I was astonished that many slaves did not know their own age. Slave owners saw slaves as a working machines and not caring about their age, or their life and such. It sort of reminded me about the Stanford Prison Experiment I learned in an English class. Basically, one half or the prison guards had power and one half which were inmates had no power. The ones with power abused the ones with no power. Both Slavery and this experiment share the same psychological effects. Slave owners believe they are more powerful and will abuse the ones that they feel are worthless. This belief will cause them to take actions that are inhumane but they see it as a normal basis. It is disgusting that humans would go this far to torment and manipulate another individual believed to be worthless.
"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant."
ReplyDelete- This quote, on page 19, caught my attention because Frederick Douglas is decribing how slaves seemed no different than that of animals. It describes the little to no education they had about anything. Majority of the slaves had no clue of what their ideal age was. The last part of this quote kind of emphasises the point of slave owners keeping their slaves from retaining any intellegance. This sparks the idea of how slave owners might be aware of some of the troubles slaves may cause if they were to gain education. Frederick Douglas is well aware of how cruel the masters are to the slaves
"I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs."
-In this quote, on page 29, Frederick Douglas deep inside is well aware of the pain & saddness coming out within the hearts of the slaves, through the songs in which they sing.
"To be accused was to be convicted, and o be convicted was to be punished"
-This quote, on page 37-38, asserts how cruel the overseers can be. It puts the slaves in position where fear is constantly running through their minds. To think just by staring at the overseer for a second, can put one in danger, is just terrifying. What follows this quote is details on how cruel the overseers were, specifically Mr. Gore.
I agree with your interpretation of your third quote Marco. The slaves knew exactly what to fear and this was one. I agree how the slaves must have had fear with them constantly because any little thing they did wrong could cause them big trouble. This shows how easy it was for their owners to dominate the slaves..
Delete"A want of information concerning my own [birthday] was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood"
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure we have different books due to other quotes people quoting are on a different page for me. My quotes are actually from the first page of the first chapter. He starts out his narrative with just the right amount of information to make me sad and angered by the condition of slaves, just by the first page. It is unsettling to him that he does not know his own birthday but the white kids know theirs. Slaves were not given information allowing them to even know themselves. As Marco Silva quoted: "By far the larger part of slaves know as little their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant." Masters "deemed such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinant.." The want know know who you are or at least how old you are was thought to be silly. He didn't even get to know his mother. Slaves are separated from their mothers at early ages. Infants are separated from their mothers to perhaps delete the possibility of a loving bond between mother and child. Maybe that was deemed impertinent to masters as well. Douglass' guess for the separation was "to hinder the development of the child's affection toward it's mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child." The psychological torment for slaves began at birth! It is very inspiring to read a narrative by this man given that he was born with basically no chance of this success.
"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" This quote to me is very sad and heart breaking, being born and not knowing the day, only merely knowing the season in which they were born.
ReplyDelete"I do not remember to have ever met a salve who could tell of his birthday" Slaves were all treated the same in that they were denied the date of their birth.
"my father was a white man....I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me. My mother and I were separated when i was but an infant--before i knew her as my mother." Aside from not knowing his birthday he didn't know his parents, He knew who his mother was but had faint memory to her as he only saw her a few times and at night.
"It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which i ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very young age" Douglass states that the reason they do so is to "hinder the development of the child's affection towards its mother." The purpose of this was to rip away any loving emotions and mold the slaves to be emotionless.
"there was no beds given the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such, and none but the men and women had these. This however, is not considered a very great privation" Slaves were deprived of beds and sleep, instead of sleeping they would get "home" late and prepare for the next day. Aside from the harsh treatment Douglass and the other slaves received, Douglass also saw very horrible things. "...a slave must stand, listen, and tremble...a man between fifty and sixty years of age, uncover his bald head, kneel down upon the cold, damp ground, and receive upon his naked and toil-worn shoulders more than thirty lashes at the time." Douglass witness harsh beatings, which to me relates to the question that was kept in mind, physically, or physiologically. Physiologically he saw horrible things that kept him as a slave because of the fear that, that could happen to him. Another example of this would be the quote on page 33 that starts with" Mr. Gore, then without consultation or deliberation with any one, not 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. His mangled body sank out of sight, and blood and brains marked the water where he had stood." Douglass witnessed brutality and murder, This was enough fear for all salves. But this fear didn't stop Douglass he was smart enough to knew he was better then all his and that kept his hope for freedom.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote is so powerful and means so much to me. I believe that Education is KEY. Education is everything in one’s life. Once you are educated no one can disrespect you or take advantage of you. You know your rights, and you learn how to fight back, not with violence but with words which is a hundred times more powerful.
"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
This quote really got to me because it shows how the masters of the slaves thought that their existence was meaningless. Just like an animal. Every human always looks forward to their birthday to celebrate that they are a year older. We celebrate as a family and make memories every year. It’s sad to know that the slaves didn’t have this memory of celebrating their birthday, knowing when their birthday was, or at least knowing how old they were! This is something we take as granted and we should appreciate it more.
your first quote is a great quote. education allows a person to know the ways of the world in many different ways. this is probably why the slave owners did not educate the slaves so they would not learn that they do have rights as well.
DeleteI love both of these quotes and completely agree with you. I believe that education strengthens you and gives you power that would never have been possible before and allows you to defend yourself in a manner that will make people want to listen.
DeleteThe second quote I think is powerful because it shows the huge lack of identity the slaves were forced to live with. Many times they were ignorant to their own fathers even, but not even being allowed to know their birthdays I believe is especially cruel because it takes away all sense of who you are and how long you have been in existence-the minimal information that someone should know of oneself.
"She was a field hand,and a whipping is the penalty of not being in the field at sunrise,unless a slave has special permission from his or her master to the contrary - a permission which they seldom get, and one that gives to him that gives it the proud name of being a kind master".
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows that nobody had the privilege to even think of being late to work in the morning or else you would receive punishment, unless the master was "kind".
"The colonel, after ascertaining where the slave belonged,rode on; the man also went on about his business, not dreaming that he had been conversing with his master".
This is extremely sad because neither did slaves nor the master know each other because the master had so many slaves he didn't even know all of them. The most sad part is that even after telling his master he didn't get treated well and would be overworked by his master, Colonel Lloyd just left to his business with no apparent pity for his own slave .
Slavery back then was really sad and the slave owners did not know their slaves whom they should try to treat correct. This also shows that there were so many slaves probably just counted as numbers.
Delete“For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote was interesting to me because of the value that Douglass puts in the separation between mother and child. He believes that this was done to break that natural bond or any affection between mother and child. This is important because here he shows his point of view as a slave of the whites dominating the blacks by doing acts of cruelty like this. Douglass shows how much power the whites had against the blacks and he is starting to portray slavery and the brutality of it.
“It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass.”
This quote stood out to me because it demonstrates the fear of the slaves. It is extremely sad how slaves had to go though the abuse of their owners and weren’t able to do anything about it. Here Douglass demonstrates how it was the “hell of slavery,” which I found very significant. Those words demonstrate great representation of the views of the slaves. Douglass did not compare the beatings, the cruelty, and the fear with anything mild; he compared it with “hell” itself. That demonstrates how bad and how scary it must have been to witness these beatings or even go through it. This quote emotionally touches the reader.
Hi Anakaren you gave a good explanation of how much power the slaves owners had over their slaves. It is sad and in my opinion really no point in separating them except out of cruelty.
DeleteHi Anakaren, i liked your interpretation for both quotes. The second quote really stood out to me as well because it paints a picture of how slaves seen the world. It's sad because their lifestyles were filled with pure misery.
DeleteThat first quote got to me as well. It is saddening to know that the cruelty of the white men to the slaves went as far as to not allow them to have a relationship with their children. That, to me is heartbreaking because of how strong my relationship with my parents is and how different my life would have been without them constantly in my life.
Delete"Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!"
ReplyDelete“It's easier to build strong children then repair broken men.”
“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.”
While I was reading I tried to focus on the distinction between physical punishment and psychological enslavement. Although in many cases they go hand in hand, I think the amount of emphasis that Douglass puts on education alludes to the fact that he believed slavery to be a gross and formidable, but mainly mental entrapment. He acknowledges his own education as the reason he was able to escape from slavery and also talks a lot about how slaves are tricked into accepting their enslavement. Since the conditions and treatment was so atrocious, no one in their right mind would accept it and so the only way for the masters to control them was to break them down mentally.
Hey there, I agree with your reasoning towards the power that psychological punishment has. As Frederick describes injuring a persons' mental abilities would have a greater impact on the individual.
Delete“Slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs”
ReplyDeleteThis is a very striking and sad because to not know how old he was, he must be so uneducated to even know how to count the days or months or even years. He even makes a comparison of the intelligence that a slave and a horse had. As described by Frederick Douglass both of the slave and the horse had the same intelligence. Besides giving us an insight of how uneducated slaves were, this also tells us how cruel and opportunistic were the slave owners. The slave owners were opportunistic in the sense that they made sure that none of their slaves came into contact with some kind of education because this could yield disaster for them. Although this kind of retribution might seem as something minute, this psychological beating down it is greater for Frederick Douglass than any physical punishment.
“I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake.”
While I was reading this passage, several other instances came to my mind that had similar ways of distorting the cruel truth in to a more pleasing truth. For instance, like Stalin, Hitler and many others horrible individuals throughout history, many slave owners would hide and manipulate the horrible reality in order to keep their reputation unstained.
I agree that it was very sad to compare the slaves at the time to horses who can't even tell what their age was. It also true that you mention that slave owners would try to justify the way they would treat people to keep their reputation clean.
DeleteI also agree that it was awful to compare the slaves to horses due to the fact that they couldn't tell their age. Treating humans like animals is a horrible way to try to keep ones reputation clean.
DeleteHello Julio, I wouldn't say that because a slave did not know his age meant he was not educated. Their age was kept from them so how can they count the months or years when they have no idea what day they were born? I do agree with you that the south owners tried to manipulate the truth of how the slaves were treated.
ReplyDelete“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in their hands, and soon commenced its infernal work.”
ReplyDeleteI like this quote because best describes the situation in the book, AND it describes people throughout history and present day. Irresponsible power can be symbolized as poison because it kills. I like the use of "infernal" on the second part. I imagine a fiery path towards destruction.
"Once you learn to read, you will forever be free."
This quote, like the first, is pretty constant through time but it also is really motivating. Learning to read for him opened up so many opportunities. Keeping slaves uneducated was a good way to keep them confined . We take for granted how important reading is on a daily bases. It's like walking into a foreign country and not understanding anything. Once he was liberated from his ignorance he could take on any issue through his intelligence.
I would completely agree with the fantastic symbolism of the first quote. I would like to add that when he describes "irresponsible power" as capable of doing "work", it almost gives "irresponsible power" a life of its own, like it can possess the souls of those who succumb to it.
DeleteI'd also have to agree with your latter comment on the second quote. His ability to communicate on a higher level through is dedication to literature gave him a powerful tool that enabled him to speak in the world that once owned him.
As I began to read the book and put myself in Frederick Douglass's shoes a few quotes really stood out, they include:
ReplyDelete"They seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but too be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed."
Thinking historically I begin to think that F.D. implies that as a slave you have no identity and the little identity you do have is that of your master. There was a sense of pride and prestige associated by your master's status within the slaves. He also speaks of the "big house" where if I was a slave working close to the big house I had a high position. Nevertheless, you can still be whipped, beat, humiliated and disgraced but within the slaves you were seen as having higher status. This highlights a mental for of slavery because the highest level they can accomplish is working as a slave still being beat but working near the master is "high" praise.
"while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found its way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery."
Here he further hints at the mental chains the slave owners have on their slaves. He states that even the songs the slave project their feelings a sense of bondage and character of slavery is heard in them. The dehumanizing character a slave projects is a result of their captivity not physical but mental. He hints that even in the culture of the slaves the mental chains protrude through songs and stories.
slavery indeed was a huge issue back then and the way they were treated was unfair. They did not have a say on anything nor make any decisions for themselves. Even if the slaves have contracts with the owners, they are forced to stay even longer or else they would be punished. It was just too unfair.
DeleteI like how you were able to connect to Fredrick's idealism and how you were able to provide well through out examples to break down his quotes. I really appreciated reading your response. Keep up the good work.
DeleteAlready from the first chapter there are many noteworthy things Frederick Douglas had mentioned about slavery during that time.
ReplyDelete"A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages."
-I found this quote very sad but true during that time. Slaves were not treated the same way as white people were so many of the children born into slavery did not know the life of knowing a birthday they could call their own.
"The whisper that my master was my father, may or may not be true; and, true or false, it is of but little consequence to my purpose whilst the fact remains, in all its glaring odiousness, that slaveholders have ordained, and by law established..."
-With slavery comes many questions that arise among children born under slavery. Many of these children do not know their parents, sometimes only knowing their mother. There were also always rumors of the slave owner being the father but that was really controversial at the time, which is interesting to see if most of these rumors were true.
Hello Jamille,
DeleteI agree with you concerning the life of the children when they had slave parents. They could have at least celebrated their birthday so that they can feel somewhat important and happy. Also, for the second quote, again it was not their fault that they were born into slavery. I feel like they deserved a complete family.
" She was a woman of noble form, and of graceful proportions, having very few equals, and fewer superiors, in personal appearance, among the colored or white women of our neighborhood. "
ReplyDelete-I think this quote states that the woman mentioned above is prohibited to associate herself with any other people besides her own class status. This stuck out to me the most because I think that this act is still seen today. For example, kings and queens are not just to marry anyone they please but they have to think of the people they are taking care of. Also, a few wealthy families have high expectations for their children, especially when it comes to meeting their future spouse.
" Here, too, the slaves of all the other farms received their monthly allowance of food, and their yearly clothing."
-This quote also was meaningful for me because I can't imagine how difficult it was for the slaves then to manage their money wisely for food and their other necessities. Also, unlike everyone else, they couldn't just buy clothes whenever they wanted to and also had to make their clothes last for a whole year. I think we are very fortunate now that slavery is not seen anymore.
“I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger”
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglas expounds that the death of her mother was quite insignificant to him during his younger years due to the fact that they were separated from each other during childbirth (Although, her mother would always travel and visit him almost every night). The slaveholders disconnects the child from the mother. Thu, destroying the emotional bond between a parent and a child. Because Douglas never had the experience of having a typical and exclusive relationship with his mother, her death did not mean much to him.
“whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom”
In the quote above, Frederick Douglas explains a very powerful argument. He states that as he gets educated (instead of being content), his desire for freedom increases. He also addresses the idea that slaveowners are controlling and manipulating their slaves by keeping them uneducated and repressing their them by maintaining the notion that slavery is not a heinous act but rather a normal circumstance.
“religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the most appalling barbarity, - a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds, - and a dark shelter under, which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of the slaveholders find the strongest protection”
Frederick Douglas is asserting the idea that slaveowners justify their deeds through their religions. Douglas especially despises them because of their cowardice. He states that nothing is worst (next to slavery) is being enslaved by religious slaveowners. This act oppression is still apparent in our society (outside the Western world). A prime example is how major terrorist and extremist groups justify their acts of violence. They have a profound belief that their actions are blessed by their Divine deity.
"the children, the unconscious children, who once sang and danced in her presence, are gone"
ReplyDeleteI thought this quote was interesting because it kind of reminds me of a story that was written in a later time era "catcher of the rye" where it says in the beginning the unconscious children to me it is saying that to children they don’t see the color if the skin, they don’t see barriers and they don't seem to see any barriers that are between them. It shows the innocence of children. Even though it was a tough time the innocence of children is universal.
"I look back to those Sundays with an amount of pleasure not to be expressed. They Were great days to my soul"
I thought that this part of Fredrick Douglass life shows how he was a person, he was very humble , it was the little things that made him feel joy in his life, for him teaching people was what he enjoyed doing. During that time it was not allowed to have slaves get an education because it was like a threat that they would progress. It shows how people during that time were. They didn’t want the slaves to have any education.
" I NOW come to that part of my during which I planned, and finally succeeded in making"
I think that a lot of us can relate this to our daily lives because there are lots of things that are not planned and at times we do know how to react but at times we don't. It shows that even though things don't go as planned sometimes we just have to deal with. But towards the middle he starts to states that even though he went through a lot of trouble there is time to succeed not all things have to go wrong. Very inspiring because Douglass had a rough life and his story is what inspired many people. His life circumstances weren't the best but when you want to succeed you can.
Hello Luz! I loved your post good job! Keep up the good work. I liked your first quote in where you mentioned children who sang and dance that reminded you of a story. I liked how you connected it to a literature book that was very insightful.
Delete"The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longer. He would whip her to make her scream, and whip her to make her hush; and not until overcome by fatigue, would he cease to swing the blood-clotted cowskin. "
ReplyDeleteThe quote that I chose would fall under physical and physiological abusive behavior for the fact that the slave owner would continue hitting Fredrick's aunt if she screamed of pain or if she was simply being quite. The abuse was both physical because Fredrick's aunt was enduring the pain and physiological because she would not know how to react because whatever noise she did or did not make she would be whipped until she bled. If I were slave enduring this type of abuse I would go insane because I would not know how to react. My reaction to this form of behavior would be indecisive because as a slave I would not have rights so there was not really a way to escape from this.
"If a slave was convicted of any high misdemeanor, became unmanageable, or evinced a determination to run away, he was brought immediately here, severely whipped, put on board the sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to Austin Woolfolk, or some other slave-trader, as a warning to the slaves remaining. "
The quote I choose would be a great example for physical abuse because if slaves did not do as they were told they were automatically punished. This quote provides an insight on what exactly would happen to slaves if they broke the law. My reaction to this law would be that it is not justified because they do not have a say in anything or have freedom. As a slave during this time period I would be fearful of breaking the law; therefore, I would not jeopardize my life.
"The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and of blasphemy. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving, cutting, and slashing among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful manner. "
This quote would be an example of a physiological behavior because even though the quote does describe the actions of a slave owner it represents the emotional harm a slave encounters. It mentions the "field of blood and of blasphemy" and as a slave I would know that the plantations represented a life of hard work and countless emotional abuse. Fear would be instilled into the minds of slaves making it much more difficult to escape.
“It struck me with awful force. It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass. It was a most terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it.”
ReplyDeleteThere is such emotion in this line that it is truly apparent how awful it was to live in slavery. Upon having to finally join the hard work of a slave, Douglass immediately witnesses the severe cruelties that were fact and commonplace for slaves of the time; he is frightened and effected by this. I would say that situations like this are where the mental chains of slavery that were discussed in the introduction video are most apparent. Slave children were exposed to situations like this early on, thus making it seem like the natural thing to do and bear.
“The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and of blasphemy. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving, cutting, and slashing among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful manner.”
It amazes me how incredibly descriptive Douglass was. This is only part of the description of the terrible overseer, and yet so much is described that it is very easy to imagine how frightening it would have been to live in constant fear of someone that you were not allowed to stand up to. This, I believe would have been where more of the physical fear would have sprouted from-the felling of complete helplessness and torture received from their overseers keeping them feeling downtrodden and low.
“The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears. At least, such is my experience. I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.”
I always knew that the songs of the slaves were inspired by their suffering and pain, but I had been under the notion that some were also used for happiness, so this truly was eye-opening for me. It makes it ever more saddening knowing that even something as beautiful as music was a means to let out the sorrow that the slaves were forced to endure throughout their lives and was not able to bring them joy as it may to us in the present day.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
ReplyDeleteEducation is a big part in someone’s life. To be educated means to have knowledge of the world around you. When you give opinions and thoughts on current issues, they are clear and thorough because you have the education behind it to support your claim. They say the pen is mightier than the sword; with education behind you, you can go on to do great things. You do not have to resort to violence because someone is insulting you, you can simply stand your ground with words.
“Without a struggle, there can be no progress.”
Someone once said that, “If you can’t make a mistake then you can’t make anything.” This quote states that if there is no struggle than the cause will not be as great. Without struggle there is no achievement. After all the fighting, anger, sadness and setbacks the outcome is greater than you have ever imagined. When the goal has been reached, you look back at it all and say, “you know, that was challenging but I did it.”
“A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.”
It states that if you give me respect, then I will gladly give you respect. If you do not respect me, than I surely will not respect you.
"The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege."
When someone has a birthday, it is their special day to celebrate when they were born. But for the slaves, that never happened. Slave owners saw them as a waste of life, not humans but animals that were to be treated as such. Slaves had no idea how old they were or when their birthday came. They were deprived of such a great gift because the slave owners deemed it unnecessary.
Hello Tavon Ghashghai, I definitely liked your 1st quote. I agree that education plays an important part in someones life. It doesn't matter your background but if you educate your self you can get far.
DeleteYour 2nd quote was amazing, because some people don't realize that success and progress don't come easy, and first there has to be the struggle, because what is difficult it's what is worth the most.
“I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything”
ReplyDeleteI picked this quote because it shows an example of psychological behavior because it explains how he is feeling when his aunt is brutally being beat. This quote is an expression of the hurt mentally and physically Fredrick went through when he was watching and or hearing his aunt being beaten and the fact that their owner found it to be pleasurable to hitting her. Fredrick felt horrible that it was so horrible to witness this and if Fredrick were to say something or react to it he would also get beaten for saying something. I support Fredrick’s emotions on how he felt when his aunt was being beaten so harshly and also having to witness it. The quote is a way of expression the emotion that he went through and how Fredrick is never going to forget something so crucial.
"I look back to those Sundays with an amount of pleasure not to be expressed. They were great days to my soul"
This is an example of a psychological behavior because it expresses how he felt when he was looking back of his past. The way Fredrick expressed himself in this quote shows the reader what a modest person he was and how he still had some joy in his life. Also, in the time this was accruing Fredrick was teaching slaves and giving them an education, even when he wasn’t permitted. As Fredrick he would have felt very good inside knowing that he is helping other out and making the slaves had some sort of education.
“Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions”
In the quote above it expresses how Fredrick never got the chance to be loved by his mother. It also expresses how Fredrick never felt his mother’s tender touch and love, and even his mother’s death. He was filled with emotions and reacted to them a certain way. This is an example of a Psychological behavior because it’s expressing the way Fredrick felt when it came down to how he felt about his mother.
Fredrick Douglas was psychologically trapped other than physically. In most of the quotes I chose it mentions how you can see how much pain and sorrow he went through mentally. Fredrick was mentally enslaved in his own feelings and views. Having to watch the slaves being beaten and punish so brutally and being deprived of privileges. Fredrick Douglas probably scared because he was always told he couldn't do anything he put his mind to.
-"I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” Fredrick Douglas states in this quote how the slaves didn’t know their own birthday date. It’s sad to realize how people can be really bad with other people and treat them like they have no existence and don’t worth nothing. Back in the days not everybody was born with the privilege of liberty, not even to know the birthday date. It the slaves didn’t even have this small privilege, of course they didn’t have the big and valuable privileges of life.
ReplyDelete-“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now, “said he,” if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, -- but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.”
Is incredible how there were and are people that can think this way about other human. The author states that slaves were born to obey and please their masters, without the privilege of learning, because according to him learning is not good for them. I totally disagree with this, because nobody has to be obligated to do something they don’t want to do. And everybody has the right to learn what they want.
-“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.”
According to Fredrick Douglas, he didn’t even know what day he was born and what his age was, this is surprising because it’s sad how a human being can only be born to be someone else’s slave. Is like a person having no identity.
-“Children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts per year. When these failed then, they went naked until the next allowance-day.”
This quote made me sad, kids have no fault of anything and they are paying something they haven’t committed and only because of their color and appearance.