Slave Narrative – Testimony of a Slave’s Life

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Introspection, description are not so much realist techniques as narrative devices turning life into a coherent exemplary narrative. Slave narrative – Testimony of a slave’s life It is a well-known fact that people tend to believe that a story is based only on the storyteller’s imagination and the same applies for a narrative. While this may be true about the stories, a slave narrative is only based on real life experiences. In his “Narrative”, Frederick Douglass makes an attempt to gain people’s attention and to arouse the sympathy of readers. The main purpose of this essay is to show how the use of description and introspection is vital for a slave narrative, being the only way of showing people what meant to be a slave. Apart from being a good writer, he was a great orator too. Frederick Douglass knew that the only way of being heard was to use passion, strength in his words, to show feelings, give his audience a part of his soul. In fact, according to W.L. Garrison, who was greatly influenced by all these aspects of Douglass’ character, he succeeded in doing this: “I shall never forget his first speech…the powerful impression it created upon a crowded auditory …I think I will never hated slavery so intensely as at that moment…” (W.L.Garrison, Preface, 1932) Indeed, Douglass managed to win many people’s hearts with his words. However, had he not used the proper words to describe all the things he lived, he could not have achieved his goal, that of making people live in their own skin a slave’s ordeal. Douglass begins his narrative by mentioning facts about his birth and a description of his parents. He makes reference to the fact that he did not develop any familial feelings toward his mother, because they were separated by his master soon after his birth. ” Never having enjoyed, to any
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