Compare And Contrast Emerson And Frederick Douglass

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Isaaic Patterson Prof. Harry Ross History of Social Thought 12/2/2010 Life of Fredrick Douglass Fredrick Augustus Washington Bailey was born on February of 1818 on the Holmes Hill farm, in Talbot County, Maryland. His father was a nameless white man, while his mother, Harriet Bailey (1792-1825) was a slave owned by Aaron Anthony. Following his birth was the separation from his mother. He was taken to live with other children that were too young to work on the fields. His mother Harriet worked on a nearby plantation and would sometime make her way over to see him. Moreover, as a child Fredrick Douglass suffered the deprivations that all other slaves suffered; sleeping on the ground, Suffered hunger, and barefoot, also wore only long…show more content…
Even though Douglass and Emerson came from different walks of life, Douglass comes to realize just as Whitman did that all humans share a similar universal nature. This is more independent compared to Emerson’s more individualistic idea, believing that all men are equal. Douglass dedicating his life to the liberation of all slaves does also compare with Emerson later on in his life. Utilizing other boys in his neighborhood, Douglass learns to read and write (“Emerson”). He found this to be a necessity, order for him to speak universal truths and express his own genius and be believable to others. Emerson felt that nothing in this world can bring one peace but one’s self and that only the triumph of principles can bring one peace. These last two lines from “Self Reliance” essay represent Emerson’s individualistic concepts (Ralph 4). Emerson values the equal individual that is in touch with their universal genius. Fredrick Douglass is evidence of discovering his own brilliance and universal truths. He makes use of these concepts and found a way to free himself and his fellow slaves from the denial of universal humanity that all men deserve

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