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Reader discussion: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Public reader discussion about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in the WeRead Catalog by Frederick Douglass.
Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass
By Mug-Couplet
I finished Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass earlier this week and honestly I’d tell people to read it. I’m usually not big on nonfiction and I didn’t really expect a whole lot from it. I thought it might drag and be something I couldn’t really connect with, since I’m mostly into sci-fi and fantasy and read for escape most of the time. I was completely off.
Not to spoil it, but if you’re in the same boat and nonfiction usually feels like a struggle, or if you think you already know the topic well enough to skip this one, I’d still say give it a shot. Douglass writes in a really straightforward way, but it still pulls you in. He gives credit where it’s due and also doesn’t soften how awful Americans were acting less than 200 years ago. He keeps the language simple, but what he says about the cruelty around him and to people like him hits hard. He’s not overdoing it or leaving out the important stuff because he doesn’t need to — what he lived through is already strong enough on its own.
I’m normally kind of skeptical and detached with nonfiction, like okay I get what the author is saying, but what are they leaving out, what else is there, what’s the other side? But I was really into this one. It’s not a difficult read, and even though a lot of it is pretty horrible, it’s still really worth it to understand it, especially from Douglass’ point of view.
1845 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
By lanternreads
In the news right now: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Written by Frederick Douglass, American, 1818–1895
Published by the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, American, founded 1835
Description:
Looks like this is a first edition of the memoir and anti-slavery book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself. The hardcover has a brown cover with a decorative border and scroll design pressed into it. The title is in gold in the middle: [NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE / OF / FREDERICK DOUGLASS]. The frontispiece shows Douglass sitting at a table in a jacket, vest, and tie, with his hands folded in his lap. The first page has the full title in big and small type: [NARRATIVE / OF THE / LIFE / OF / FREDERICK DOUGLASS, / AN / AMERICAN SLAVE. / WRITTEN BY HIMSELF]. The last bit of the title sits between two horizontal lines. At the bottom center it says: [BOSTON: / PUBLISHED AT THE ANTI-SLAVERY OFFICE, / No. 25 CORNHILL / 1845.]. There’s a preface by William Lloyd Garrison and a prefatory letter by Wendell Phillips. 125 pages.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
By cosmicChair98
I’m reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass right now too, one of those books I bought ages ago and then just never picked up until now. Hearing about how he was treated as a kid, moved around from one plantation to another, how he first learned to read and write, and how badly he wanted more knowledge really made me realize I didn’t actually know that much about Frederick Douglass or just how incredible his life was.
I know he wrote two other memoirs too, and I’d like to get to those someday, but this one has been especially good so far. If you’ve read it, what did you think?
Give me suggestions of informative books about slavery
By pagecaribbee1981
I’ve been looking more into the history of slavery, and I’m honestly horrified by stuff we never really learned in school (at least not here in America. I guess that’s not shocking). I want to keep learning because I’d like to be a better advocate for Black people and understand all the awful things they’ve been forced to deal with. If anyone has book/video/podcast recommendations, please share!
Frederick Douglass origin story goes crazy
By owlwind
Right after I moved in with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she started teaching me the alphabet, real kindly. Once I got that down, she helped me learn how to spell a few short words. But then Mr. Auld found out, and stopped her right away. He said it wasn’t safe and it was wrong to teach a slave to read, and he went on about how if you gave someone like me even a little, I’d want more, that learning would “ruin” the best slave, and that I’d end up not being able to be controlled or useful. He also claimed it wouldn’t help me, just make me unhappy and not content.
Honestly, those things really hit me. I felt like something finally clicked and I understood some stuff I’d been stuck on—especially how a white man could have the power to keep a Black man enslaved. It felt like a big turning point. I was upset about losing my dear mistress’s help, but I was still glad I’d somehow gotten that lesson from him at all, even if it came from somewhere so awful.
Frederick Douglass. Social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, 1865.
By goldeagle49
I mostly know Douglass as this huge abolitionist name, but reading this made me realize how much else he did too. He was an orator and writer, and his autobiographies—especially the 1845 one—seem to have really taken off and helped push the abolition cause. Then there’s the women’s suffrage support and all the public roles he had.
The part about him being nominated for vice president without his approval is honestly kind of wild to me, even though I guess it fits with how he was always involved in bigger movements. And I’m not totally sure how to feel about the Victoria Woodhull connection, just because it sounds like it happened in a pretty unexpected way. The last bit, where he goes to the National Council of Women meeting in D.C. and gets a standing ovation, then dies soon after of a massive heart attack at 77, just feels so sudden.
NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE: It is a memoir written by former slave Frederick Douglass during his stay in Massachusetts in 1845. This book is a treatise on abolition and tells of Frederick Douglas's life as a slave and how he wishes to become a free man.
By mercy_panther70
I ended up reading this for a college class. It’s pretty intense, and the story gets kind of glossed over in American history. You usually just hear a short little blurb about his life, but the detail in this is really eye-opening.
Just remembered I found a first edition of Frederick Douglass's My Life and Times in a junk shop 20 years ago. He's getting recognized more and more...
By curiousreads5100
Seeing Frederick Douglass pop up in the news lately made me remember I apparently own a first edition of his third autobiography, *My Life and Times* (1881). I picked it up randomly at a junk shop in Marseilles, Illinois—like, on my first date with my wife. No clue how it ended up there, mixed in with old car parts and stacks of *National Geographic*.
I pulled it out just to look at it, and it’s really neat.
I’m actually thinking of selling it now to donate the money to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Figured it’d be better than just sitting in a box in the garage, especially with everything going on right now.