From A Short Narrative of My Life

Daniely Modesto
48A
Samson Occom



“I used to wish I was capable of instructing my poor Kindred. I used to think, If I Could once Learn to Read I would instruct the poor Children to Reading” (Norton 441)

“This proved to be quite a successful trip, as he [Occum] raised nearly $50,000, but the Native school that Occum worked so hard to create, would never be build with these founds.” www.sachem-uncas.com/occum.html

In “From a Short Narrative of My Life” Samson Occom writes about the injustice he suffered in his minister and teacher career. Occum explains that when he was sixteen he heard for the first time the words of God by the English Ministers.
Occom explains that those Preaches did not only come to them, but they had their own places, a church for their meetings. Occum did not know how to read but even though he could “read” the bible. Occom later felt an amaizing disere to serve God and to spread his words to his people. He explains that Mr. Weelock was the one who taught him how to read, who gave him new clothes and who supported him teaching Indians in New England, and he became a Christian ministers to his own people.


Occum eventually got married and had kids; he dedicated much of his early life to promoting Wheelock's missions and projects. Doing so, he had to leave his family for a while and he trusted Mr. Weelock to take care of them. When he returned, his family was sick and poor. Mr. Weelock was using the money from his missions and projects to build a college that the focus was not the Native American students anymore.

His narrative is about the injustice he suffered and how his spirituality and his Indian identity provided him the strength to continue with his missions.
It is sad to realize that injustice initiated hundreds of years ago, and we learned how to leave with it instead of try to fix the problem. We often hear parents telling their kids that “life is not fair” you got to move one. Unfortunately, as Dennis Wholey says: “Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.”

The Iroquois Creation Story

Daniely Modesto
48 A
David Cusick- The Iroquois Creation Story


“Among the ancients there were two worlds in existence. The lower world was in great darkness; - the possession of the great monster, but the upper world was inhabited by mankind;” (Norton 18)

David Cusick was born around 1780, probably on the Oneida reservation in upstate New York. His father, Nicholas Cusick, was a Revolutionary War veteran and an interpreter for the Congregationalist mission to the Seneca. David's younger brother, Dennis Cusick was a watercolor painter, and together the two brothers help establish the early Iroquois Realist Style of painting. Wikipedia.

In “The Iroquois Creation Story” is the story of the beginning o f the world and how good and evil started in the earth. In the story David Cusick describes an island and people who used to live there, the island was up on the sky and according to Cusick the sun and moon were not created yet. The woman, who was pregnant of twin curiosity falls into down into the dark worls, which is the earth and animals, helped her.

By this time, only animals and plants used to live in the earth, and the woman with her twins started our generation. The woman gave birth to the Twins who were named Enigorio and Enigonhahetgea. There grew up fast and they both started to fill the earth with their creations. The story explains how the animals, rivers and the seasons were created. According to Cusick, the brothers were different from each other, Enigorio was good and he created many useful things for the earth; good and strong animals for people, rivers and plants that people could eat. Enigonhahetgea on the other hand was always trying to destroy what his brother had produced and creating monsters, thorns and volcanoes.

Eventually, they decide to fight, and the good wins, making Enigonhahetgea live up on the sky, and becomes a evil spirit, far from the earth. I thought that this is a very interesting story, Cusick does a good job describing the earth and how it begins. But the most interesting part is the twins being related to “good and evil”, which remains me the biblical passage about Cain and Able, who were also brothers and represented “good and evil”.

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

“My only remaining duty is to transmit what I saw and heard in the nine years I wandered lost and miserable over many remote lands. I hope in some measure to convey to Your Majesty not merely a report of positions and distance, flora and fauna, but of the customs of the numerous barbarous people I talked with and dwelt among, as well as any other matters I could hear of or observe” (Norton 41)

Cabeza de Vaca was one of the survivors of the expedition to Florida by Narvaez. Cabeza de Vaca spends eight years with the native’s tribes of Texas –Northern Mexico, learning their customs and language. In “From The Relation of Alvaz Nunez Cabeza de Vaca”, De Vaca writes to the King to explain that those people are smart, with their own culture and rules. They are human being not animals, and they should not be enslaved. De Vaca goes on and explains how the natives treated them and helped them with food and accommodation: “they also brought whatever else they had; but we wished only a meal…” (Norton 47).

Christopher Columbus

Daniely Modesto
Engl 48A
Christopher Columbus


“I did not sail upon this voyage to gain honor or wealthy; this is certain, for already all hope of that was dead. I came to Your Highnesses that if it plea God to bring me forth from this place…” (Norton 35)

“After five centuries, Columbus remains a mysterious and controversial figure who has been variously described as one of the greatest mariners in history, a visionary genius, a mystic, a national hero, a failed administrator, a naive entrepreneur, and a ruthless and greedy imperialist” columbusnavigation.com

Columbus in “from letter to Luis de Santagel regarding the first voyage” writes a letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to describe the place he “found”. In this letter we can see that he starts writing about the beauty of the place and how fortunate there were to find this great island: “ All are most beautiful, of a thousand shapes” (Norton 333) making sure that the King and Queen were happy with this expedition.
However, later on he starts to describe and express his feeling about what he really sees in the place: “…found an infinity of small hamlets and people without number, but nothing of importance” (Norton 33) as if Columbus was trying to sell the idea of his expedition being great, but deep inside he was just hoping that they would find something there. But not yet…I also found very selfish of him to just get in the place that he does not know, and just name them (rename as he says)and just take it by putting their flag on the sand. As if there was a rule to steal lands with flags.

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

Daniely Modesto
Eng 48A
Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

He was indeed a person of a well-tempered spirit, or else it had been scarce possible for him to have kept the affairs of Plymouth in so good a temper for thirty-seven years together... The leader of a people in a wilderness had need be a Moses; and if a Moses had not led the people of Plymouth Colony, when this worthy person was their governour, the people had never with so much unanimity and importunity still called him to lead them. -- Cotton Mather

"Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element." (norton 115)

In the book Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford describes all the difficulty many puritans suffered, but because they believe that everything that was happening was God’ will they accept the events with pleasure.

Most of them believe that everything was happening for a reason and they all should learn from the pain and grown stronger. When they made to Cape Harbor safely, Puritans believed that it was God helping them to overcome the obstacles. Bradford also explains that many people were dying from horrible diseases, but nobody was panicking because that was just what God wanted from them.

Anne Bradstreet Poems

Daniely Modesto
Engl 48A
Anne Bradstreet Poems

Anne Bradstreet was born in England and since very young her father gave her a superior education to what most woman at that time. Bradstreet was very intelligent and self-educated; she was the first woman poet to publish her poems in colonial America. She married at the age of 16 to Simon Bradstreet and they both sailed with her family to America in 1630.

Bradstreet’s poems were written for her family, friends, she never meant to publish them. They were almost a way that she found to express her feelings of loneliness and strangeness in America. In 1650, her brother in law secretly brought her collection to London and published them, later called The Tenth Muse.



“Although she may have seemed to some a strange aberration of womanhood at the time, she evidently took herself very seriously as an intellectual and a poet. She read widely in history, science, and literature, especially the works of Guillame du Bartas, studying her craft and gradually developing a confident poetic voice.” www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet

In “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” Bradstreet writes about her maternal love, but it also shows her fear of dying “How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend” as if she was trying to explain to her daughter that death is part of everybody’s life.

"The Prologue," is also a very beautiful poem, which she writes about being a woman in a Puritan society. She writes about women inferiority “For my mean pen are too superior things” as if women were not meant to speak their mind or have strong opinions. Bradstreet argues that women can be as intellectual as men, “Men can do best, and women know it well”.


Another very powerful poem is “To My Dear and Loving Husband” which she describes the love between her husband and her. Bradstreet in this poem uses simple but very touching words to describe the love that she claims to be forever: “Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere/ that when we live no more, we may live ever” Bradstreet’s love and affection for her husband is intense and she believes that they will be together even after death.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards

Daniely Modesto
Engl 48A
Jonathan Edwards



“ And you, children, who are unconverted, do not you know that you are going down to hell, to bear the dreadful wrath of that God, who is now angry with you every day and every night? Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted, and are become the holy and happy children of the king of kings?” (Norton 436)

"Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian," and one of America's greatest intellectuals." Wikipedia.org



Jonathan Edwards in his essay “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” uses of many strong and horrifying words to describe the place sinners will eternal live if they do not take care of their “unsaved souls”. I liked the way Edward uses of figures of speech to describe the power and kindness of God over the people, such as when he compares the sinners to spiders and serpents, which are creatures repulsive by humans just as sinners are to God.




“He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but He can most easily do it”. (Norton 426)Edward creates the image that God is holding the sinners by a thin thread, just to warn them and give them some time to redeem themselves while God constantly offers help from the sin state that people live.

I really enjoyed this reading, I could almost hear Edwards talking directly to me- it is a very beautiful and at the same time scary sermon.

The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson

Daniely Modesto
Engl 48A
Thomas Jefferson
The Declaration of Independence


"Jefferson kept a mockingbird named Dick in the White House study, and let the bird ride on his shoulder whenever possible. President Jefferson even trained Dick to take bits of food that he held between his lips at meals! When Jefferson went upstairs, his faithful companion would hop up after him, step after step, never far from his side." www.ushistory.com


“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”


The main purpose of The Declaration of Independence was to explain the foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. According to Jefferson, all men are equal and with right, that government should not violate. Rights those which include “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” and when the government fails in providing people with such rights, there is no reason to conform.

Jefferson explains that George III, the king, is guilty for many specific abuses, such as acting with Parliament, the king instituted legislations that was affecting colonies without their consent. This legislation also levies taxes on colonists and preventing them from trading. Jefferson wanted to set the colonies free from this pressure and create a new and different nation. This new nation, called United States of America, which will no further have any connections with Great Britain

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Daniely Modesto
48A
Thomas Paine- Common Sense

"a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right..." (Norton 630)

"Thomas Paine had a grand vision for society: he was staunchly anti-slavery, and he was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization and social security for the poor and elderly. But his radical views on religion would destroy his success, and by the end of his life, only a handful of people attended his funeral."

www.ushistory.org


Thomas Paine in “Common sense” encourages people to fight for American Independence explaining with “simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense” that American colonies had received no advantage from Great Britain, which was trying to corrupt them. Paine’s played a large part in the separate America from England; he thought that the colonies should revolt against the government that he believes is not right for them.




Paine believed there was no reason for the Colonies to stay dependent on England as he argues that colonies have too little to gains to be attached to Britain. As he recommends an envoy democracy that gives equal weight to each colonies, he uses his persuading tone to led people to take actions against what they believe is unfair. He also uses motivation on his writing to bring people the courage they need to fight for their independence.

Paine uses of many Biblical references to support its claims; he argues that texts from the bible originated in sin and if America remains under the Britain’s rules there will be new taxes and rates interfering in the colonial life.

He explains that America was not a "British nation"; America was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe, so why should they live by England’s rules.

Poems from Phillis Wheatley

Daniely Modesto

Engl 48A

Phillis Wheatley

"After the death of John Wheatley and his wife, Phillis married John Peters, a free black man, who ran a small grocery store in Boston. The business was unsuccessful and Phillis was forced to find work as a servant. Phillis Wheatley died in poverty in Boston on 5th December, 1784."

Spartacus Educational.

On Being Brought from Africa to America.

“Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refined, and join the angelic train”
Wheatley in this poem describes her anger against racism that African American suffered and they lost of identity. Wheatley points out the idea that slaves are as intelligent as the whites and that by the law of God, we are all the same and that they should have legal rights.

To the University of Cambridge in New England

The poet makes a clear distinction between her and the students, however she still points out that they are all the same. The poet calls the attention for the whites- to think about the religious aspects “How Jesus’ blood for your redemption flows. /See Him with hands outstretched upon the cross” explaining the idea that Christian people are enslaving the blacks, and that it is not right from the God’s eyes.

To His Excellency George Washington

“While freedom’s cause her anxious breast alarms, she flashes dreadful in refulgent arms”
In this poem, Wheathey writes a letter to General Washington before the American Independency with the theme of freedom. She describes the struggle from the colonialism to be free from England.

To S. M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works

In this poem Wheatley encourage and gives power to the imagination of an artist.”When first thy pencil did those beauties give” Wheatley says his words create vivid images on the reader’s head and she tries to understand the process of his imagination.

The interesting Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African Written by Himself

Daniely Modesto

Engl 48 A
Olaudah Equiano

“Sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through different countries and various nations, till . . . [he] arrive[s] at the sea coast"

"As a major voice in this movement, Equiano petitioned the Queen of England in 1788. He was appointed to the expedition to settle London's poor Blacks in Sierra Leone, a British colony on the west coast of Africa. Sadly, he did not complete the journey back to his native land.

www.atomicage.com/equiano/life.html

Olaudah Equiano writes about his life and the cruelty of slavery. Equiano was born in Nigeria, and as a child he and his sister were kidnapped and sold to slavery, and consequently, he never came back home.He explains that he was sold many times, as he claims in the quote above, and in one of those trades h

e finds his sis

ter, but they are not together for long and soon he is sold again. Later on he became a seaman, when he traveled the world, including Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Comin

g to London, he became involved in the abolishment of slavery. He explains that even though many slaves were treated badly, he only felt the real slavery when he was sold to America. Equiano clearl

y points out the differences between African slavery and American slavery.

An Indian's Looking-Glass For The White Man by William Apess

Daniely Modesto

Engl. 48A

William Apess

“Or have you the folly to think that the white man, being one in fifteen or sixteen, are the only beloved images of God?”

According to Barry O'Connell (listed below), Apes changed his name to Apess is his later publications and in the legal documents of 1836 and 1837. His family members continue to use the spelling Apes.
By Paul P. Reuben

In “An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man”, William Apess writes about religion, racism and its injustice. Apess shows his anger for the mistreatment the Indians and other races suffer from the predominant white Christians, raising the idea that the bible and the concept of religion should be revised.

Apess writes the essays for the whites, who are the dominant society at the time, pointing his finger in the white society’s face, Apess raise questions such as "Is not religion the same now under a colored skin as it ever was? If so, I would ask, why is not a man of color respected?" (1055), Apess points out that Christianity distinguishes race and do not support the Bible. Apess claims that if God loves only white people why did he create fifteen other races? “Who are the children of God? Perhaps you may say, none but white. If so, the word of the Lord is not true,"(1056), Apess also emphasizes that neither Jesus nor his disciples were white skinned and why are the whites superior? Apess cannot understand the reason why other races have to be passive and inferior to the whites. Apess essay shows the strong words of a mixed blood man seeking for an equality life style for everybody, and the right reasons to believe in God.

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Daniely Modesto
Engl 48A
Week 5

Washington Irving
Rip Van Winkle


“Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, which even can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound.”

When I mention the name Washington Irving (1783-1859), chances are audiences either (1) think I’m talking about a basketball player, (2) don’t know who he is, or (3) know generally who he is, but can’t name a thing he’s written.
Yet, two of his most famous stories, “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” — both ripped from a longer work that most readers can’t name – are so ingrained in our American DNA that you can probably summarize the plot of each even if you’ve never read it.

Brian Jay Jones

(I wonder if that is because he was writing using his pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon)

Rip Van Winkle, is described in the story as a man who used to work in odd jobs always helping his neighbors, but did not want to do anything around his own house and farm. He always does what he could “got with least thought or trouble” just like some kids do. His wife is always telling him what to do, and he is tired of listening to her, however he never did anything to change or make her happy.

As usual, he decides to take a nap and he just wakes up after 20 years. As he got up, he was very stiff, his bones did not want to corporate, and he thinks he might have developed rheumatism from sleeping outside in the cold night. When he wakes up, everything is “different” however, somehow familiar. There are strange faces and names in his old hometown that for a second he started to wonder if he is getting crazy, if he is really Rip Van winkle. He finds his house “gone to decay- the roof falling in, the windows shattered and the doors off the hinges” (960). He finds his daughter, his son, and he finds out that his wife died a short time after him. Rip Vim winkle also realize that his friends fought in the war and are all dead now.

The story is very creative an interesting. At first, the reader does not know that he had slept for 20 years, but throughout the description, we can see the difference in the period of the history as Irving describes. Irving describes two different periods of society, American during the English rules and after the revolutionary War.

Resistance to Civil Government by Henry David Thoreau

"I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion."

Wouldn't Thoreau roll over in his grave at the state of politics in America today? Or rather, he would urge us to stand up as individuals, take revolutionary action against the established order with autonomy, reason and intellect.

Shannon Riley, Virginia Commonwealth University

Thoreau, in his essay describes his philosophical ideas about government, the conformism and obedience. Thoreau portrays the civil Government on the 18th and describes the disadvantage of it against people.“Resistance to Civil Government” was neither his first nor the last of his writings on social and political reform. Thoreau believed the individual was not exempt from the power of the state; a decision to disobey also meant a willingness to accept the consequences. And as merely machines, people could easily conform to life at that time.

Thoreau refusal to pay the tax was intended as a direct protest against an unpopular tax and as an indirect protest against the government's condoning of slavery. He also linked slavery to the Mexican-American War, protesting against it. Thoreau was not afraid of saying what he thinks, and he was trying to make people also speak for themselves. In addition, it is clear that, it seems to be either justice or law, and that unfortunately, we cannot have it both ways.

It really makes me compare the today’s government and the 18th century. We still suffer from many issues that great part of the society do not agree, however, many people are afraid of speak up and just conform to life. Unfortunately, we were born cowards, and we still do not fight for what we believe is right. I do not think that many people agree with war and other issues in our present government, although we still kill so many people and conform with many laws, we just obey and pretend nothing is happening and just following the trail, as a good “puppets”, like the government wants us to be.

Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, - that is genius.”

"The ideas of these men, along with those of Plato and some of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Persian thinkers, strongly influenced his development of the philosophy of transcendentalism".

http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96may/emerson.html

Be yourself and trust your own inner voice, is what Emerson repeats throughout his essay in different ways. Emerson believes that everybody was born able to recognize and understand the moral and truth of life with no pre awareness. Using this inborn knowledge, a gift of God, people can make a moral decision without relying on information gained through everyday living, education, and experimentation.
For instance, Emerson points out in his essay a simple case of small children that speak for themselves, even though they have not been corrupted by the society. Emerson also claims that we are all different individuals and that we should avoid “imitating” models of perfection, but that we should express original ideas and ourselves.

In history, the results of individualism have been spread worldwide. Important leaders, thinkers, and philosophers with radical ideas in virgin areas of research were making significant finds “Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and everybody pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.” (Emerson 1168)

In addition, Emerson says that we should never conform or accept they way society live and tells us how to live, we do not need to follow any pattern or “culture” to be adequate and be happy. “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself” (Emerson 1180)
Because of his spirit of self-reliance, Emerson makes decision for himself, and he would strongly reject any law or policy that would go against his decision or moral force. Emerson’s era happened was a reform and resisted period, and he thought that the effect of the society was not helping people, but building conformity and fear in each of them. He was often criticizing society and trying to make people express their creative thinking, getting rid of the conventionalism.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

“Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women"

Harriet was actively involved with the abolition movement before the launch of the Civil War. During the war, she used her celebrity to raise money for black refugees. After the war, she worked to improve the conditions of the recently freed slaves.

In the story “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”, Harriet Jacobs writes about her sad experiences as a slave. Her story documents not only her struggle to run away and be free, but she also puts a great effort in describing her sexual abuse she suffers, and the importance of family and motherhood.

She describes the cruelty to black women in the nineteen-century, and how slaves were supposed to serve their masters. She explains that at that time the system worked against protection of slave women from sexual abuse by their masters. Sexual abuse of slave was not viewed as a criminal offense because she did not count as a woman, but a slave. Rather, she was property of the owner, who could dispose of her body whenever they wish. “A master may treat you as rudely as he pleases, and you dare not to speak” (Jacobs 1817). She explains the process of obedience and well-behaved slaves go through, involving physical pain and physiological torment. Both male and female slaves are explored and humiliated without any reason, however, women are raped and suffer more physiological pain. Linda is forced to have sex with her masters, and forced to keep a secret, for herself, or the master could hurt her or separate her children from her.

She was denied to marry her lover and was forced to give up her purity; going against her own moral principles. “I know I have been disrespectful, sir... but you drove me to it..." Jacobs’s most desirable dream was to obtain freedom to build a family, as any other white woman could enjoy. Jacobs’s story is very devastated; she does not only describe the reader how cruel it is to be a slave, but also how hard it is to be a slave and a black woman.

After seven years of sexual harassment by Dr. Norcom, Harriet Jacobs had had enough. In 1835 she escaped from Norcom, although she would remain in her hometown, hidden, for another seven years before fleeing to the North. In this runaway notice, Norcom ironically states that "this girl absconded from the plantation of my son without any known cause or provocation."


Runaway notice for Harriet Jacobs

$100 REWARD Will be given for the apprehension and delivery of my Servant Girl HARRIET. She is a light mulatto, 21 years of age, about 5 feet 4 inches high, of a thick and corpulent habit, having on her head a thick covering of black hair that curls naturally, but which can be easily combed straight.

She speaks easily and fluently, and has an agreeable carriage and address. Being a good seamstress, she has been accustomed to dress well, has a variety of very fine clothes, made in the prevailing fashion, and will probably appear, if abroad, tricked out in gay and fashionable finery. As this girl absconded from the plantation of my son without any known cause or provocation, it is probable she designs to transport herself to the North. The above reward, with all reasonable charges, will be given for apprehending her, or securing her in any prison or jail within the U. States. All persons are hereby forewarned against harboring or entertaining her, or being in any way instrumental in her escape, under the most rigorous penalties of the law.

JAMES NORCOM.
Copy from the American Beacon, Courtesy of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History

Frederick Douglass

“If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master- to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world.”

He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, woman, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." ( Frederickdouglass.net)

In the 1800's, slavery was a predominant issue in the United States. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass reveals much about American history during this time, and illustrates the arguments for the abolition of slavery. Fredrick Douglas was born in Maryland; he was a slave in America until the age of 20, he does not know the date of his birth, as did most slaves. He never really had a chance to know his father and he had only seen her mother four or five times, since masters often-separate family whenever they wish. Fredrick taught himself how to read and write, when he was about 12 years old. He could not let his knowledge be known, because it was against the slavers owner’s wishes. After a endure life of hardship and pain, Douglass escaped to the North where he wrote his autobiographies, which are historical documents of how dehumanized the slavery was.

At the beginning of the story, Douglass’s information about slavery is poor, and he does not have much information and he is not sure why he is a slave. He describes what he see and even thought he acts more as an observer in the beginning, he can already see the injustice and cruelty with his race. Nevertheless, his descriptions of how the slaves were treated at that time are so real that after reading I felt pitiful. It is very sad to think that a human being could treat another in such a useless way. Frederick was a very strong and determined little boy, by his young age, he knew that something was wrong and he did not give up. His determination to learn and teach how to write and read it show his perseverance in fighting against what he believed what wrong. . Moreover, his plan to run away helps hid to find his deserved freedom and to abolish the slavery.