Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

What was the effect of slavery on the Aulds?

Chapter 8-10, he talks about the effect on the Aulds.

Asked by
Last updated by Aslan
Answers 1
Add Yours

It was March 1832 when he went to live with Master Thomas Auld. He and his wife were equally cruel and mean. Slavery seemed to make them cruel and inhuman. Douglass once again felt the pangs of hunger, something he had not experienced for quite some time. It was actually not considered respectable to keep one's slaves hungry; no matter how coarse the food, it was commonly understood that slaves should have enough to eat.Even though most slaveholders had some redeeming features, Douglass identified not a single one in Master Thomas. He never performed a single noble act. He was mean and made no effort to conceal is cruelty. His meanness was matched by his cowardice and his impulsiveness. He was not effective at enforcing rules and commands. He had only recently come into having slaves and was not able to imitate those men who had owned slaves for a long time. Neither force nor fear nor fraud could compel his slaves to do what he wanted. Even after a "religious conversion", the Both Thomas and Rowena Auld became more cruel and vicious to their slaves.

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/narrative-of-the-life-of-frederick-douglass-an-american-slave-written-by-himself/study-guide/section10/