One of the major points of discussion in the audio program for this unit concerns Frederick Douglass's representativeness. Obviously, in some respects he was a very unusual man; yet he did not want his white readers to think that he was a special case if, in the process, they came to the conclusion that he was vastly superior to other black people enslaved in the South. How does he picture himself as typical as well as highly individual.
Frederick Douglass was not a typical slave in the South in the times of slavery because he chose to fight for his freedom and not to accept his fate, although he wanted those that had not experienced slavery in their lives to not hold the common prejudices of the time. Therefore, in his speaking as a free slave, he tried to make it known to all that he was typical and that the only advantage that he had was the ability to read and write. .
Frederick represents himself as typical throughout his story by speaking of his life as a slave in a manner that portrayed common occurrences. He tells a tale of starvation, nakedness, and whippings; one of constant fear and neglect. He recalls many instances of being taken away from his loved ones and reminisces about the sadness that this instills in him.
By showing numerous cases of favoritism and special treatment, Douglass represents himself as highly individual as well. He talks about how much his first master liked him as a young boy and he, therefore, gets sent to work for a nice couple in the city. Furthermore, he says that the woman of that house feels the need to show him how to read and write, which was taboo amongst enslaved blacks of that era. He claims that that single act was one of the biggest reasons that he eventually gained his freedom. Through reading, he learned that the fight for freedom was even possible. .
Later in the book Douglass talks about being with an overtly cruel master that notices him in a negative light and takes to regularly whipping him.
