Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
(This was a college paper I myself typed up.) Frederick Douglass experienced the horrors of slavery and several different types of slave masters. According to Douglass, “adopted slave holders are the worst,” which is proven valid through his ownership under Thomas Auld who received him via marriage with Lucretia Auld. Thomas Auld’s most deviant and harsh trait was that he gave out very little rations of food to the slaves; thus, causing them to be constantly tormented by hunger. Another reason which contributed to Auld’s parsimonious traits is that due to the fact that he was a slave owner via marriage, he had no experience to control and handle the slaves which is why he acted in such an inconsistent manner when it came to disciplinary action. Thomas Auld later decides to attend a Methodist seminar; thus, causing him to convert to a Methodist. Douglass believed that this conversion would cause Auld to free his slaves or at the very least, make him more kind and humane. To Douglass's amazement, this actually gave support to Auld's slave holding cruelty by giving him justification from God for slavery.
Thomas Auld was a evil, cruel and inhumane slave owner that neglected his slaves in various way. One way that this is observed is that Thomas Auld would not provide the slaves enough food which caused the slaves to steal food. In several instances, Douglass would release a horse that way he could stop by William Hamilton's house and get a full meal because of the lack of food given to him at the Auld's property (Douglass, 382). This practice for depriving slaves of food was seen at the time to be "the most aggravated development of meanness...," meaning that by not supplying sufficient amounts of food, it would cause both the slaves to become meaner with each other (Douglass 378). Another way which depicts Thomas Auld as an evil, cruel and inhumane slave holder is that he would unjustly punish his slaves. This is perceived when Auld tied up a young
Thomas Auld was a evil, cruel and inhumane slave owner that neglected his slaves in various way. One way that this is observed is that Thomas Auld would not provide the slaves enough food which caused the slaves to steal food. In several instances, Douglass would release a horse that way he could stop by William Hamilton's house and get a full meal because of the lack of food given to him at the Auld's property (Douglass, 382). This practice for depriving slaves of food was seen at the time to be "the most aggravated development of meanness...," meaning that by not supplying sufficient amounts of food, it would cause both the slaves to become meaner with each other (Douglass 378). Another way which depicts Thomas Auld as an evil, cruel and inhumane slave holder is that he would unjustly punish his slaves. This is perceived when Auld tied up a young