In Frederick Douglass’ book titled, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
an American Slave, the reader is drawn into the unfortunate world of slavery in
the South through Douglass’ actual accounts.  His way of narrating and use of
descriptive detail are effective in depicting the harsh reality of slavery.
Douglass’ narrative is a superb example of literature that contributed to the
support of the abolition of slavery for various reasons, some of which I will
now go on to discuss.
    Perhaps, the most reoccurring reason that Douglass uses for the abolition of
slavery is it’s hypocritical and immoral effect on the white slaveholders of the
South.  Most if not all of the slaveholders and masters that Douglass speaks of
consider themselves to be Christians, but when the reader is given a closer look
at how they live their lives and especially, treat their slaves--it is clear
that they are not as Christian as they would like everyone to think.  For
example, the Reverend Mr. Hopkins was known for his ability to whip slaves on
the smallest offense and sometimes for no offense at all.  He usually would
“whip slaves in advance of deserving it” (1858).  Douglass also points out to
his audience that this Reverend Mr. Hopkins is seen at church “praying earlier,
later, louder, and longer,” than anyone else (1859).  The hypocritical Christian
is displayed again in the beginning of chapter ten, here Douglass is at Master
Thomas Aulds’ house where the slaves are given very little food, but contained
within the safe and smoke-house there is an over abundance of food.  To add to
this he has overheard a great many times Master Thomas Auld and his wife “pray
that God would bless them in basket and store” (1847).  Another illustration of
how slavery is infecting the whites morals and values is the scene that deals
with the transformation of Mrs. Aulds’ kind hearted, caring disposition, into a
person full of such rage that she resembles a demon now instead of an angel
(1838).  Douglass blames her transformation of character on “the fatal poison”,
which is known as the power of slavery and it’s influence.
    Next Douglass points out that this influence of slavery is not accepted or
understood by all whites of the South.  The reader first encounters this subtle,
but strong statement when Douglass speaks of the small boys who helped to teach
him how to read and write.  With these boys Douglass would discuss the matters
of slavery and ask them why they could be free men at age “twenty-one, but he
had to be a slave for life” (1841).  The boys would be troubled by this question
because they themselves didn’t understand in their innocence why life should be
any different for Douglass.  Douglass is demonstrating how simple it is to
distinguish between right and wrong.  These children can see and accept him as a
human being not a slave, but the great majority of the South has a problem with
this perception.  He goes on to demonstrate yet another example of this
misunderstanding of slavery with the conversation that he carries on with the
Irishmen on the wharf.  One of them had asked Douglass, while Douglass was
helping them unload a boat, “Are ye a slave for life?” (1842).  Douglass told
him yes and the Irishmen were deeply disturbed by this, so they went on to tell
Douglass that he should escape away to the North (1842).  These men in a way,
gave Douglass hope for the future just like the boys had by displaying their
confusion with slavery and telling Douglass that he had just as much right as
anyone else did to be free.  They knew that he was a ‘person’ and deserved to be
treated as such.  And in their brief conversations with Douglass of this subject
it reaffirmed his beliefs and hopes to hear them say it.
    Lastly the assumption of slaves not being able to handle freedom because they
need someone to watch over them and provide for them is a common belief of the
South that Douglass disputes.  After Douglass had learned the skill of caulking,
for ships he was able to make a good deal of money as he states, “I was able to
command the highest wages given to the most experienced calkers” (1867).  This
exhibits that he could make enough money to support himself reasonably, but he
had to give all of the wages he made to his master.  Knowing that he was making
good money and that he could support himself on it only made Douglass want to be
free even more.  This myth that the slave owners believed and tried to impress
upon their slaves was not true at all now for Douglass, since he had learned how
to caulk.
    All of these points and more are displayed throughout Douglass’ narrative
creating a strong argument against slavery and in doing so supporting abolition.
Near the end of his wonderful narrative it is plainly evident what Douglass’
purpose of writing the narrative was because he freely speaks of his involvement
in the anti-slavery reform and attachment to the newspaper the “Liberator”,
which is known as abolitionist propaganda.  This is why Douglass’ narrative is
widely recognized as one of the main historical sources on the arguments of the
abolition movement.