Frederick Douglass Narrative Vs. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

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The assignment requires students to compare and contrast the methods used by the authors of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Uncle Tom’s Cabin to convey their arguments about slavery. While Douglass uses an autobiographical point of view to provide a detailed and emotional account of slavery, Stowe’s approach is more romantic and focuses on multiple perspectives. Stowe also uses religion as a common theme throughout her book to promote the idea that true Christianity can end slavery. The essays will be graded based on the strength of the thesis, use of detail from the books and historical context, effective organization, and college-level writing.

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Your assignment will be to compare/contrast the methods the two authors use, their basic arguments, and their effectiveness. Topics 2 and 3 will be similar. Essays will be graded holistically, based on whether you:

have a strong, analytical thesis (i.e. – do you discuss how and the why the author does what they do rather than just describing the plots?) support your thesis with plenty of detail from the books and historical context organized your essay effectively used college level writing

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Narrative of the life of fred. Douglass and Uncle Tom’s Cabin are two very powerful and influential writings about slavery published only 7 years apart, with Uncle Tom’s Cabin being the later. Looking on the outside, these two pieces may have similar effects on readers, but they have just as many differences in the way the authors approach their topic and go about their writing. The most apparent difference in the two methods used is the point of view. Douglass being an autobiographical point of view gives us a deep, emotional and detailed look into slavery.

It helps us understand the daily life of a slave and the true brutality of the slave world which fuels abolitionists and the push for emancipation. His perspective allows readers to feel connected with Frederick, for we can hear his exact thoughts during each event. The connection is made real due to its truthfulness and we know this is to be an honest first person view of his horrible circumstanced but motivational life. Douglass’ point of view also helps understand the obvious and not so obvious realities of slavery. Being able to take us inside his head, douglass constantly refers to multiple strategies of slavery. One being the hopelessness which is drowned upon them since young, from his first witnessed beatings of his aunt Hester which he claims was the “Blood stained gate of slavery” to his account of family separation before he could grow close to anyone. Another strategy which Douglass notes as the most effective way to keep down the spirit of insurrection and keeping the slaves in their brute form is when they allow the slave something good they abuse it.

He points out a few examples but his main point deals with freedom: during the holidays they are encouraged to drink heavily during their timeoff, betting on who can drink the most, this act keeps them in the dark about true freedom. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin the author is a white woman. This automatically helps the spread of the book reach larger crowds. People are going to be less intimidated by a book written by a white woman then Frederick Douglass a former slave. Stowe chooses a completely different style then Douglass, where Douglass’ strong points is made through his honest testimonies of horrible and heart wrenching events about a brute fighting to become a man, Stowe is able to put the reader in the mind of multiple perspectives with different stories, to expose the system of slavery in a broader more romantic way. Stowe also uses religion as a common theme throughout, she often has her characters monologues act as mini sermons. She clearly intends to put the idea in readers that the main way we end slavery is through faith of God, and not the kind of religion the slave owners abuse to keep the slaves down, but the true pure since of Christianity. She uses heartwarming characters like Eva to relate Christianity back to a “child like faith” where she sees absolutley

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Frederick Douglass Narrative Vs. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. (2016, May 23). Retrieved from

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