American life is all about the fight towards becoming upwardly mobile and making life better. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave written by himself tell the story of struggle and hardship that leads to change and reflection. These two stories although differing in setting and protagonists, share the same level of pain that are universal regardless of race, gender, and age.
Both protagonists are bound by the chains of their existence. The differences are based on age and racial inequality. In terms of style and content, because the two novels were written during different time periods, they will have differences, especially in perspective since Douglass wrote it about himself where as Kaye Gibbons wrote about a made up character. In this essay these differences will be explained along with the universal themes that bring the two together.
Ellen Foster is a young white girl who lives with an abusive father. The father does horrible things to her causing her great suffering. In the beginning of the book the quote: "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure it out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy." demonstrates just how much pain her father inflicts on her by making her feel as though the only way she could escape would be through his death. Escape is a prevalent theme in Ellen Foster and it is through the use of this theme that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave can be compared.
Frederick Douglass was a slave during the time of African slavery in America. Through this book the reader sees his struggle and his wish for not just freedom, but knowledge to overcome his adversities. Like Ellen who seeks to better herself regardless of her problems, Douglass uses determination to set rise to a desire to improve and seek a better existence. In chapter 1 of the narrative, he describes the breakdown...
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