Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick: An American Slave, Written by Himself  by Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was born a slave in approximately 1818. After unbelievable hardships, he escaped to freedom in the North, and became a speaker and an example of blacks being just as intelligent and worthy as any white.

Douglass' life reminded my that slavery was not a joke, and still nothing to joke about.  The extreme cruelty by the overseers reminded me of the scientific studies about guards and prisoners, though I believe most slave holders were wicked before they were given any power.  The part when he was sent to live with people that had never had slaves proved this point: even good people can lose their humanity when faced with slavery.  The wife was a kind person, and even taught Frederick to read, until she was told that slaves should be treated as slaves.  Slowly, she lost her tenderness, until even she became hard-hearted.