has
several strong messages or themes to communicate in his narrative. He was writing to a white
audience who often had misconceptions about slavery.
The first point Douglass
makes is that slavery is cruel and torturous to slaves. While many white people thought the
slaves were well taken care of, Douglass shows graphically how the slaves were brutally beaten,
underfed, and degraded.
Second, Douglass argues that slavery harms white
people by dehumanizing them. He notes how his mistress (slave-master) in Baltimore is at first
kind to him and tries to teach him to read, but as she catches on to the social division between
white and black people she becomes hard and cruel.
Third, Douglass contends
that Christianity makes slaveowners crueler, not kinder. Douglass recounts his owner having a
conversion experience and thinking as a result he might be freed. Instead, Christian theology
about how slaves must obey their masters encourages greater cruelty.
Fourth,
Douglass...
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