The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, is unique because Douglass, an escaped slave with no formal education, wrote the entire account himself.

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Frederick Douglass: A Model Student

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, is unique because Douglass, an escaped slave with no formal education, wrote the entire account himself. As a result, Frederick Douglass is one of the originators of the uniquely American genre, the slave narrative.

Douglass' literary works are influenced greatly by his first book, written by Caleb Bingham. Douglass' first book purchase, The Columbian Orator did more than teach him to read and write; The Columbian Orator gives Douglass his first contact with vocalized anti-slavery issues and influences Douglass' orator skills allowing his words to reach a much broader audience.

 

As a young boy, Frederick Douglass is sent to Baltimore to remain with relatives of his master, Thomas Auld. His new mistress, Sophia Auld, began to "teach [Douglass] the A, B, C" and "assisted [Douglass] in learning to spell words of three or four letters" (1776). This "kind and tender-hearted woman" (1776) instructs Douglass despite her husband, who argued that educating slaves was unlawful. Though Mrs. Auld is not able to continue teaching Douglass, she "had given [Douglass] the inch and no precaution could prevent [him] from taking the ell" (1778). Once Douglass acquires The Columbian Orator, his search for knowledge blossoms for he knew the institution of slavery is wrong and these words on the page "gave tongue to interesting thoughts of [his] own soul" (1779). Douglass realizes that the "power of truth overpowers "the conscience of even a slaveholder" (1779). By studying this work, Frederick Douglass becomes convinced of the injustices of slavery and the right for all people to be free.

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One story in The Columbian Orator would forever be an inspiration to

Frederick Douglass. It is the story of a slave who argues so well with his master on the ills of slavery that he is set free. Douglass read of an event he had never heard of in his life.  A slave talks back to his master with eloquent speech and is let go? To his astonishment, Douglass observes that: The slave was made to say some very smart as well as impressive things in reply to his master- things which had the desired though unexpected effect; for ...

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