Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,

¶ … Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass. Specifically it will discuss how Douglass's work helps readers understand how America is changing and what kinds of stresses those changes place on maintaining a common national identity around the ideals of the Enduring Vision. America was in flux in the eras 1820-1850, and it was positioning itself to embark on a Civil War that would change the country forever. Douglass' narrative vividly illustrates what it was like to be a slave in America during this time, and indicates how Americans felt pulled in two very different directions. All of this led to change, transformation, reform, and finally, war.

America was struggling with many issues during the time Douglass' wrote and published his life story. The country was becoming more industrialized, especially in the North, and more people moved to the big cities, such as New York, to find work. There as a bigger gap growing between the rich and the poor, and the South still relied heavily on agriculture for their economy and way of life. Douglass' narrative graphically portrays the lives of slaves and how they suffered, and his life and accomplishments vividly indicate the potential those slaves had if they had only been given the chance to prove themselves. All of these issues were changing America and Americans, and they were struggling to maintain their values and ideals that had been so important in the country up until then.

One of the biggest issues tearing the country in two and changing values was slavery. The abolitionists (mostly Northerners) vehemently opposed it, while most Southerners felt it was a necessity and a valuable part of their way of life. Douglass' narrative gives an intimate glimpse into the lives of slaves, and it convinced many abolitionists that their cause was just and necessary. For example, Douglass writes,

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 (Douglass 6).

It is still difficult to believe that these hard-working and proud people received one set of clothing a year and were expected to live on pork and corn meal. Anything else they had to grow or find themselves. This shows the vast difference between master and slave, and why slaves longed for freedom. It also shows the internal struggle going on in America. The founding fathers had a vision of freedom and equality for Americans, and yet they did not include women and blacks in their vision. As the country matured, more people felt that all people should be free. Narratives like Douglass' that showed the conditions slaves had to endure helped many people see the realities of slavery and make up their minds to fight against it. Slavery did not mesh with the ideals of the Enduring Vision, but many people simply ignored that fact and stood behind the practice, anyway.

This narrative also points out another issue that was extremely important during this time in American history. Some people simply refused to believe the stories of cruelty and injustice toward Southern slaves. Douglass notes, "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" (Douglass 9). Many people were ambivalent toward slavery, and simply hoped to sweep the whole matter "under the rug" to cover it up. They convinced themselves the slaves were more like animals than people were, and they were content with their lot in life. As Douglass noted, nothing could be farther from the truth. It took writing like Douglass' to make some people really understand what was happening on the Southern plantations. For example, he continues about one master's extreme cruelty, "The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest. 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 bloodclotted cowskin" (Douglass 4). All of this helped change the minds of many people about slaves and their treatment, and helped set forces in motion that would change the country forever.

The Enduring Vision of America was of a land that was fit for everyone. Immigrants were welcomed, and so were people with different religious beliefs. It seemed as if America was a "perfect" society, but there were many social practices that got in the way of that perfection, such as the mistreatment of the Native Americans and slaves. Ignoring the plight of the slaves was no longer possible when narratives like Douglass' were published. The country split in two, and the Enduring Vision of a country and people united was no longer true. Thus, books like this one helped change America.