Essay Sample on Early American Literature: Fredrick Douglas vs. 21st Century

Introduction

Early American literature borrows much from American history. The contents of early American literature are still glorious with writers and masterpieces that still have an impact in the modern day America (Royer, 1994). American research has grown from the old ages with unique styles, themes and form. One can always see the American literary works in their real sense. An example of a writer that has made early American literature more flavored and recognizable is Fredrick Douglas. This paper aims to explore the similarities and differences that exist in Fredrick Douglas's narrative and the 21st-century life in America.

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About Fredrick Douglas

When you mention Fredrick Douglas, you are reminded of those who grew up with the challenges of slavery in America. He was born into slavery in rural Maryland in 1818 (Pioneer, 2004). He worked in Baltimore where he was taught to read and write by the mistress, Mrs. Auld. He was so rebellious that he violently resisted from a man he termed a slave owner. Later he escaped to the North and got married. He continued doing manual jobs until he became his oratory work at an antislavery convention in 1841 (Pioneer, 2004).

Douglas is an African-American who rose against slavery. He purposed to find justice and equality for all Americans irrespective of their race, gender, or economic status. He earned literacy at an early age. This facilitated his ability to write his book and even realize his freedom.

Fredrick began to preach and teach during Sabbath, and thus captured the attention of many Africans. He talked for those who didn't have a penny to spend, those with unequal rights and those who worked tirelessly to earn a negligible amount (Pioneer, 2004). Through his teachings, Fredrick gained the value of equality which passed on to other individuals around him. He is said to have had a physical altercation with his master; instead of getting punished, he grabbed his master by his collar using both hands. It is this occurrence that boosted his self-confidence and esteem; he felt he had his rights and power to make his life different. After the incident, his master Mr. Covey didn't touch him ever again (Pioneer, 2004). Fredrick had used a sense of aggressiveness to earn himself a taste of freedom.

Fredrick gained a lot from Sunday school teachings. It is through these teachings that he realized how slavery was evil. He preached against the white folks damaging the African-Americans physically and mentally. He stood firm on his values and hated corruption, slavery, women-whipping, hypocritical Christianity, and cradle-plundering. He was a leader with determination, balance, eloquence, straight-forwardness and expressiveness (Pioneer, 2004). Through these attributes, he encouraged others to learn the same values. Therefore, his confidence and sense of wisdom were able to change the national set of values even to the present America of the 21st century. He accomplished the abolition of slavery and helped many people reach their desired dream of freedom. How then are these values and all that he writes in his narrative relevant to the 21st century America?

Douglass' Journey to Freedom Through the Narrative

Douglass having known how to read and write embarked on gaining Bible literacy to fight for his freedom out of slavery (Francis, 2014). He uses the scriptures to explain to other slaves that their owners are manipulating the scriptures to maintain power over them. He takes his literacy form as a means of gaining freedom, control and liberties. He uses literacy as a tool against slavery (Francis, 2014).

The narrative that Fredrick Douglass wrote about his life in 1845 became a weapon of words to gain his human and civil rights (Francis, 2014). He transformed the narrative into a real tool to fight even for other people's freedom. Slave owners mostly confined slaves and denied them a primary education. Douglass realized this was the only way out of this confinement. He demonstrates this by disapproving slave education and works out his ideas for white education (Francis, 2014).

In the narrative, Fredrick recounts how he was barred from entering the human community. He takes note of how he was excluded from the whites, yet he did not give up. After achieving his basic literacy, he began to seek knowledge so that he could understand the Bible for moral guidance and authority (Francis, 2014).

Did Fredrick Douglass ever know life outside bondage? No, he didn't. He was a slave in the 19th century and a rebellious educated slave. He used this education to forge his escape without ever thinking about what life outside slavery looked like. With the little knowledge he gathered from Mrs. Auld, he understands notices, reproduces a document and uses what he knows to escape from slavery (Francis, 2014). Therefore, without primary education, he would have remained a slave and even risk execution due to his rebellious spirit (Francis, 2014).

Fredrick Douglass vs. 21st Century

Many Americans mark days in their calendars; days when they feel something worthwhile happened in their lives. 4th July is the day for Fredrick (Francis, 2014). It is on this day that gross injustice and cruelty befell him (Alexander, 2014). He began to speak about the existence of suffering that salves in America endured every day. According to Fredrick, slavery gave them life without freedom, human rights and dignity (Alexander, 2014 & Francis, 2014). Slaves were just like property and tools for labour. Thus, their destiny was characterized by despair, poverty and degradation.

His perceptions and words were still dominant since his death more 200 years ago. His words reflect truly to the lives of the working class in America. The 4th of July to the working class of today is a revelation of the gross injustice and cruelty to which they victims every day (Alexander, 2014). The working class are victims of wage slavery in the 21st century America, and this has been happening for the last 200 years. The rich continue to gather wealth and prosperity through wealthy and giant corporations while the working class still struggle with poverty wages (Alexander, 2014 & Francis, 2014). Though the Presidents and the Congress have been debating in increasing the minimum wage to $9 or $10 an hour, this is still far from the guarantee that millions of working people will stop being slave labourers (Alexander, 2014).

It is still a similar thing that Fredrick saw the hopeless lives of Americans at his time due to slavery. None of them could make a living out of what they worked. Even though America is the wealthiest nation on the planet, five in six Americans are likely to live in poverty. Statistics also show that more than one in six Americans are dependent on public assistance and can't enjoy the pursuit of happiness at any point (Alexander, 2014). The resources in the American nation, just like during the time of Fredrick Douglas, are being squandered by the wealthy and big corporations (Alexander, 2014 & Francis, 2014). Other significant players widening the gap between the rich and the poor in America are Wall Street bankers and the military-industrial-complex (Alexander, 2014). While these are happening, the ranks of the poor and homeless continue to swell.

Even though Americans talk of 1% and the 99%, these do not add up. This is because the 1% and 99% existed even from the time of Declaration of Independence and the days of slavery in the plantations in the Deep South (Alexander, 2014). Similar stories have existed in industries across the United States. In other words, the Declaration of Independence was never an instrument to address the plight of American slaves or the present working class (Alexander, 2014). This explains why Fredrick said that America is the only country in the world guilty of shocking and bloody practices to its people. Fredrick said this concerning the 1% and the wealthy elite in the USA (Alexander, 2014). Therefore, it was 1% then, and it remains 1%, that is, the wealthy elite.

According to Fredrick's narrative, slaves never had a right to privacy. They were subjects to beatings and death anytime! In the present day America, officers who have sworn to protect and to serve the American people only serve the interests of the 1%. They continue to oppress the minorities in the neighbourhoods and streets across America (Alexander, 2014 & Francis, 2014). An example is Kelly Thomas who was mentally ill and homeless but had himself beaten violently by police on the streets of Fullerton, California (Alexander, 2014). It means that Americans still have nothing celebrate in the name of justice.

In the years of slavery in America, Fredrick records that there was constant surveillance, especially on slaves (Alexander, 2014). In the 21st century, the whole American nation is under NSA watch. There is no privacy in the American homes, workplaces or the streets. What then did the US constitution mean to slaves? What meaning does the US constitution being to the current American working class? The U.S. Constitution is just a mere piece of paper which the Congress uses to remind the minorities that Constitutional rights are but privileges (Alexander, 2014). Many of the wealthy elite say that the Bill of Rights and civil liberties are just stolen guarantees.

The slavery being experienced in the 21st century America is not based on colour, but on class (Alexander, 2014). This is the form of American slavery designed for the 21st century. Many Americans live in poverty, work for poverty wages and retire in poverty. The American working class are undergoing exploitation to increase the wealth of the super-rich, who are the masters of the 21st-century plantations.

The American working class are not living their real lives. They cannot celebrate liberty and freedom at any moment. This reflects the words of Fredrick Douglass that if one goes wherever he/she may, search wherever he/she will roam through authorities, and travel to every corner, one will find that America rots in barbarity and shameless hypocrisy without a rival (Alexander, 2014 & Francis, 2014). He was right then and now. His words were right then and could be right now.

Slavery dehumanizes and makes a person have negative insights and mentality of the slave owners (Alexander, 2014). Douglass was opposed to the notion that slaves are born and made. He says that if that is the case, then the slave owners fall in the same categories. The mistress was willing to enlighten him through the knowledge of reading and writing. She could not shut Douglass down and let him remain in mental darkness. Despite that, her husband influenced her not to help Douglass, and her tender heart became stone making her turn into a tiger-like person. The mistress thus began blocking Douglass from learning. This sudden change in behaviour is what Douglass analyzed and came up with the proposition that most of the reaction shown by slave owners is learned and less of it is internally motivated before the learning.

The same happens in the current 21st century America. In the wealthy elite squad, there are a few kind souls that believe that everyone deserves a chance to live a good life in America (Alexander, 2014). There are those who believe in the real American dream. There are those who still want to give the working class a chance to scale up the ladder and move away from poverty. However, their ideologies get influenced by other malicious wealthy elites. Thus, the whole group begins to think the same way. They wholesomely agree to oppress the working and let them never have a taste of the national cake. This is what Fredrick saw during his time; it still lives with the present American child.

Conclusion

Fredrick Douglass's narrative is a story of his life...