David Torres

Mrs.Carroll
September 13, 2018
Douglass’s Therapy Session on his views of Oppression

During the 1800’s, slavery was a common necessity that was viewed as a norm without
anything wrong with it since the slaves were not from the United States, thus making it seem
justified by most if not all. ​Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was born into slavery
sometime around 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. He then wrote about his experience as a
slave and the hardships of it.​ ​Frederick Douglass illustrates the theme of oppression through his
discussion of the unjustified and inhumane treatment of slaves throughout the era of slavery in
his book ​Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass​.
First of all, Douglass indicates the treatment of slaves as being inhuman. For instance, he
states, “By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs,
and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant” (13).
He is comparing the treatment of slaves to the treatment of horses. Therefore Douglass is stating
that slaves go through the same conduct as animals do, thus making it inhuman.
Furthermore, he later describes his treatment and the treatment of the slaves as a whole as
being unjustified. This is illustrated here when Douglass says “To all these complaints, no matter
how unjust, the slave must answer never a word...upon his naked and toil - worn shoulders more
than thirty lashes at a time” (22). The author is stating that slaves were punished if they ever
complained or even said a word, they were basically stripped of their freedom of speech and
whipped for nothing. This clearly depicts the treatment of slaves of being unjust since they were
basically abused for anything and everything they said or did, even if it wasn’t even a crime or a
wrong.
Thus, the comparison of horses to slaves and the severe punishment that slaves received
during the slave era that Frederick Douglass describes as being unjust and inhumane, depicts the
overall message/theme of oppression throughout his discussions. Mr.Douglass illustrates his
struggles and horrific life that he faced during this time in such vivid and emotional fashion, that
the reader can feel the anger and sadness that he felt too. This is similar to the way African
Americans and minorities are treated to this day, maybe not as oppressive but with the same
concept of demoralizing the other race, slavery may be gone, but discrimination isn’t.