FrederickDouglass,anabolitionistwhoalteredAmerica'sviewsofslaverythroughhiswritingsand actions.Frederick'slifeasaslavehadthegreatestimpactonhiswritings.Throughhisexperienceas aslave,hedevelopedemotionandexperienceforhimtobecomeasuccessfulabolitionistwriter.He experiencedharshtreatmentandhishateforslaveryanddesiretobefreecausedhimtowrite NarrativeoftheLifeofFrederickDouglass.InhisNarrative,hewrotethestoryofhismiserablelife asaslaveandhisfighttobefreeHismotivationbehindthecharacter(himself)wastomakeit throughanotherdaysothatmaybeonedayhemightbefree.Byspeakingout,fightingasan abolitionistandfinallybecominganauthor,...showmorecontent...
Thepowerthattheyhaveovertheirslaveshasadamagingeffectontheirmoralhealthbecausethey arecareless.Douglassdescribesadulteryandrapeastypicalbehaviorpatternsofslaveholderswhich damagetheirfamilies.SophiaAuldisDouglass'smainillustrationofthecorruptionofslaveowners. ThepowerofslaveholdingchangesSophiafromanicewomantoademon.Shewentfromakind, caringandlovingpersonintoatypicalmeanslavemaster.ShewasnolongerabletoteachDouglass howtoreadbecauseherhusbanddisapproveditSlaveholdersgainandkeeppoweroverblacks fromtheirbirthonwardbykeepingthemignorantofbasicfactsaboutthemselves.Forexample slavesdidn'tknowtheirbirthdateorwhotheirparentswere.Theydidn'twantslavestohavea naturalsenseofidentity.Slavechildrenwerenotallowedtolearntoreadorwritebecausethis wouldleadslavestoquestiontheirrights.
Douglassusesfamilyrelationships,startingwithhisownbirth,togainthecompassionofhistarget audience.Heneverknewtheidentityofhisfather,butitwas"whispered"(Douglass,Narrative,43) thatitwashismasterDouglassshockedhisNorthernwhitereaderswhenheinformedthemthat slaveholdersregularlysplitslavefamiliesfornoreason.ThisupsetNorthernersbecausetheirfamily unitswerethefoundationoftheircommunities.Peoplecouldn'tbelievethatslavechildrenwere taken
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