The Three Contradictions

Throughout chapters 9 and 10, Douglass continues to 

languish-lose vitality;
fail to make progress

describe the dehumanization of slaves with gory and violent details. Douglass has proved that slaves were beaten in body and soul until they broke and obeyed their masters. Douglass admits that "Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died" (Page 71). Reading this quote even made a reader like me view Douglass' escape and resistance as hopeless. 

rekindle- light or set on fire;
arouse or inspire an emotion

      However, Douglass' steadfast and firm beliefs despite his harsh circumstances dumbfounded me. The first contradiction appeared when slaveowners succeeded in breaking hopes of slaves, but still Douglass regained his spirit, defiance, and determination to be free after he saw a possibility of escape during the battle with Mr Covey. According to Douglass, the battle "rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom,    and revived within me 
a sense of my own manhood. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me with a determination to be free" (Page 78). 

     The second contradiction I noticed throughout these chapters was the slaveowner's justification of slavery through religion. I would identify that justification as a false Christianity, a hypocritical reasoning to make themselves feel better of their brutality. Douglass demonstrates the contradiction between the peaceful tenets of Christianity and the violent actions of slaveholders by stating, "Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty" (Page 63). 
     The last contradiction is that according to Douglass, the Douglass before the battle and after the battle are two different identities. He recounts this as a transformation from a slave who gave up literacy into a determined man, a slave who learned how to love,  and an enthusiastic teacher. The battle also gave Douglass an opportunity to hold a Sabbath school to educate slaves and spur a sense of rebellion in them: "I, therefore, commenced early to ascertain their views and feelings in regard to their condition, and to imbue their minds with thoughts of freedom" (Page 86). The opportunity to educate fellow slaves created a sense of kinship and affection, an emotion he has never felt before. For example, Douglass confesses,"I can say, I never loved any or confided in any people more than my fellow slaves... I believe we would have died for each other" (Page 86). I couldn't help feeling optimistic and curious of what would happen next as the novel took a positive turn from the rough incidences with Mr. Covey.

Imprudent- Not showing care for
the consequences of an action

Profligate- Recklessly wasteful
in the use of resources

destitute- extremely poor;
completely lacking

Mon Enfance

Maintenant, je ne suis pas l’enfant qui était insouciante tout le temps et sans problèmes. J'ai seize ans, j'habite à Bogotá et je vais à l'école Colegio Nueva Granada.

    En ce moment, je suis très occupée avec trop de choses à faire. J’ai beaucoup de travail et devoirs pour mes classes, et toutes sont difficiles. Je suis préoccupée pour mes examens finals, mes notes, le <<SAT>> et entrer à une bonne université. Pour moi, les académiques sont ma priorité.  En plus des académiques, je me considère une étudiante active dans l’école.  Je suis membre de << NHS, Leadership, MUN, Top Dogs>>, et l’équipe d’athlétisme.

  Voilà ma routine quotidienne: Je rentre chez moi de l’école, je fais mes devoirs ou j’étudie pour un ou deux examens. Lorsque je finis mes devoirs, je joue du violon pour trente minutes, parfois une heure. Généralement, j’ai du temps pour parler avec mes amis et ma famille en Corée. Parfois, je vois un film ou lis un livre.

    Cependant, ma vie n’est pas toujours stressante. J’aime être partie des organisations scolaires, et je suis très contente quand je joue du violon. Le vendredi et pendant mon temps libre, j'aime m’amuser avec mes amis. Normalement, nous voyons un film ou nous dînons. J'aime voyager également. Le voyage à la Ville Perdue en février était une expérience inoubliable. Pendant les vacances, je voyage des villes colombiennes différentes, ou aux autres pays. Cette année, j'ai visité Aruba, Miami, New York, et Curaçao. C'était extraordinaire.

Si j’imagine mon avenir, quand j’aurai 19 ans, je serai déjà entrée à une université coréenne ou américaine. Je voudrais étudier relations internationales ou cultures mondiales et pendant les vacances, je rêve de visiter l’Afrique parce que je n’y suis jamais allée. Je voudrais devenir benévole et aider les enfants dans le continent noir. Lorsque je recevrai mon diplôme, je voudrais avoir assez d’argent et de temps pour voyager autour du monde et l’explorer. Je pourrai chercher un emploi après, parce que je voudrais avoir de l’expérience et connaître le monde avant de commencer ma carrière professionelle.

     Si j’aurais 30 ans, je serai mariée et j’aurai une fille et un fils. J’habiterai dans un pays différent chaque 4 ans parce que j’aimerai encore connaître et expérimenter cultures différentes. Je travaillerai beaucoup parce que je chercherai une profession que j’aime et que me passionne.

    Finalement, j’’espère un futur heureux plus que réussie. Je suis contente quand je voyage et j’explore. Je veux que tout mon effort au présent m’aidera pour le futur. Je préfère être contente que riche et célèbre. 

The Awakening

     The Narrative of Frederick Douglass has countless strengths towards achieving its purpose of educating American citizens on the reality of slavery. Douglass described the physical and mental pain he and his fellow slaves suffered with honest and specific details of how they were brutalized during the first four chapters. 

      Chapters five to eight focused on the ignorance and lack of education of slaves. Everyone is probably aware of the fact that 

depravity: moral corruption; wickedness

slaves were treated violently, but the words of Douglass' master (when the mistress taught Douglass how to read) are what really allowed me and Douglass himself to understand the true depravity of slavery: "If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave." (Page 45) Education was the only hope that could allow the slaves to organize themselves and overcome their burden. Not teaching slaves how to read was a way to remove any piece of humanity stifling desire to be free. Douglass amazingly describes his experiences of how his master crushed his hope for freedom. Ironically, the master's words motivated Douglass even more to teach himself how to read as he says, "From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted and I got it at a time when I the least expected it." (Page 45)

      However, the discovery of The Columbian Orator, a collection of political essays and dialogues that celebrates Republican virtues (abolitionism),  and the gain of knowledge create a deeper wound for Douglass. The more he finds about slavery, the more he realizes he was happier when he was ignorant and unaware of the reality behind him. He describes these feelings with powerful rhetoric, that it became devastating for me to read: "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." (Page 52) Nevertheless, the information he obtained from The Columbian Orator also made him think about abolitionism and become more determined than ever to run away. As Douglass confessed: "the light broke in upon me (him) by degrees... I was determined to be off," I understood that he wrote this narrative to show how important having an education is. I could clearly see the difference between Douglass' perspective when he didn't know how to read and his perspective after reading The Columbian Orator.

impudent (page 44): not showing

due respect for another person

writhe(page 51): to twist and squirm

due to physical discomfort

perplex (page 52):completely baffled;

very puzzled