Slavery

Slavery is horrible. I know that a Romantic piece of literature is suppose to be all about the main character of the story, but I think Frederick Douglass deserves to speak of himself and all the trails we went through as a slave. Being an ignorant person and living in the age I am living, I did not know the severity of the treatment of slaves on the old plantations. The people are being treated worse than any dog in our society - we have organizations and people that stand up against the inhumane treatment of animals, but we never stop to think of the treatment that was given to slaves “I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood” (Douglass 925). How could a human being treat another in this manner? The slaves were doing the work they were “hired” to do; why couldn’t this be enough for the owner of the plantation. I do not understand why they felt the need to whip, rape, and torture these innocent people that should have had the same rights as any other person. I found myself, later on in the story, being happy that Mr. Douglass battled Mr. Covey and would not let him beat on him anymore… “My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact. I did not hesitate to let it be known of me that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me” (Douglass 955).