As I finally reach the end of Frederick Douglass memoir, I felt something about the memoir went missing. Although the story got my attention, and played with my emotions like no other book has. I concluded that the novel compares to a "bikini", as it hides the essential but what it reveals is suggestive (David Chen), because after all the effort to achieve freedom, his experience as a freeman and married man is summarized in less than 15 pages. Therefore when I finish the book I felt something was missing. To my own perspective Frederick emphasizes his experience as a slave rather than a freeman, to establish a connection with the reader , as the most intense part of the book is during his time as a slave.
It is just astonishing to see how for Douglass the relation among his peers as one of the most important factors of his life, as he mentioned, "Our greatest concern was about separation, we dreaded that more than any thing this side of death". During his journey to become a freeman, I reflected upon many events such as, when he began working as a shipbuilder, where his people ,instead of being supportive after having shared the same experience as slaves, they behave as unsympathetic whites, where they only seek economic welfare above his people , his race, "My fellow apprentices very soon began to feel it degrading to them to work with me". In another case where he mentions," that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing of my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me of plans to gain my freedom", This quote relates to me and almost everyone because every time they give us something, we want something more.
Something that I find curious is the fact that despite the abuse , humiliation, and disrespect , Frederick refers to his past owners with such a respect despite this is his diary where supposedly he should reveal his emotions and thoughts. This shows Frederick was the real gentleman upon the white population.
The novel left me with a sense of intrigue about the future of Frederick and his new family . But What Douglass taught me will prevail in my daily life as I appreciate the privileges that god gave me.
Dread: to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of (dictionary.com)
