My Bondage and my Freedom Essay -- Literary Analysis, Frederick Dougla

At first glance, the book â€Å"my bondage and my freedom by Frederick Douglass appeared to be extremely dull and frustrating to read. After rereading the book for a second time and paying closer attention to the little details I have realized this is one of the most impressive autobiographies I have read recently. This book possesses one of the most touching stories that I have ever read, and what astonishes me the most about the whole subject is that it's a true story of Douglass' life. â€Å" Douglass does a masterful job of using his own experience to expose the injustice of slavery to the world. As the protagonist he is able to keep the reader interested in himself, and tell the true story of his life. As a narrator he is able to link those experiences to the wider experiences of the nation and all society, exposing the corrupting nature of slavery to the entire nation.†[1] Although this book contributes a great amount of information on the subject of slavery and it i s an extremely valuable book, its strengths are overpowered by its flaws. The book is loaded with unnecessary details, flowery metaphors and intense introductory information but this is what makes â€Å"My Bondage and My Freedom† unique. Throughout the entirety of the book, Douglass presents himself as a neutral figure who can see both the negative and positive side of any issue, even slavery. He presents a rational account of why slavery exists and does so without attempting to discuss the morality of the topic at hand. Despite spending a lot of time discussing the cruel masters and supervisors he encountered in life , his anger is not towards those who support slavery, but the institution of slavery as a whole.â€Å"Nature has done almost nothing to prepare me... ...glass' tumultuous Atlantic crossing on a ship full of slave-owners, his exploits as a traveling lecturer in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and the "many dear friends" abroad who collaborate to purchase Douglass's freedom from Thomas Auld in 1846 [21]. I understand he does not want to publish his escape for fear others will get caught but it was still very disappointing and ended the book blandly. With all of this said, would I suggest this book to a friend? The answer is both yes and no. Although this is a remarkable piece of literature, it is not easily understood by everyone. If I knew someone who enjoyed reading extremely long and detailed auto biographies I would suggest this book to them without hesitation. This book is not for everyone, but if it is in the hands of the right person this could be a life altering and enlightening book.