Up until 1865. bondage and all of its force and inhuman treatment was accepted across the United provinces. The self-acclaimed “Land of the Free” was non a free land for slaves like Fredrick Douglass. or even Jim. a fictional character in the fresh Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Slavery depicted in the antecedently mentioned novel is really much cushioned when compared to the world of bondage depicted in the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. However. Mark Twain. writer of the former manages to capture some worlds within his satirical version of life before the American Civil War. Both novels portray the authoritative version of bondage. where Africans are inferior to the English. but Twain’s version shows neither the extent of force and inhuman treatment committed upon slaves. nor the double-edged blade that comes with having slaves.
Frederick Douglass and Mark Twain both show the most common signifier of bondage ; the unfair control and high quality white people assert over the African race. In Twain’s novel. Jim is loyal to his proprietor Miss Watson. but when Miss Watson finds out “she could [ acquire ] eight [ hundred ] dollars for [ Jim ] ” ( 42 ) . she plans to sell him. Miss Watson had promised Jim that she would ne’er sell him. and knows that. by selling Jim. she would be dividing him from his married woman and kids.
However. with the offer of eight hundred dollars for Jim. Miss Watson’s ain greed overrules the devastation of a slave household. In this novel. eight hundred dollars for the white lady is deserving destructing a black household over. Similarly. Douglass experiences his life being toyed with over “a misconstruing [ that ] took topographic point between [ Douglass’ proprietor ] and Master Hugh” ( 41 ) . his impermanent proprietor. Because of an undistinguished statement. Douglass’ full life is one time once more moved to a new location. In both the narrative and the novel. the lives of slaves are non deserving even the humble struggles of a white slave proprietor.
When comparing the lives of slaves in Douglass’s narrative and Twain’s novel. it is apparent that Twain has non done justness to the sum of force slaves are put through. Throughout the continuance of Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jim. the slave. has ne’er been whipped. That may partly be due to Jim being a blowout. but merely the fact that Jim was able to “set down on the land betwixt [ Huck ] and Tom… [ and ] begun to snore” ( 9 ) reveals Twain’s inability to portray the true life of a slave.
Here. a slave is able to merely sit down and take a sleep without a 2nd idea. In comparing. Douglass writes of when “a immature miss between 15 and 16 old ages of age…lost her remainder for several darks old. [ and ] did non hear the [ babe ] crying… [ Her proprietor ] . happening her slow to travel. jumped from her bed. seized an oak stick of wood by the hearth. and with it… ended her life” ( 26 ) . For Jim. when he fell asleep. nil of effect happened to him. In fact. he got a nice remainder. The immature miss in Douglass’ narrative. on the other manus. was viciously beaten to decease for the same discourtesy. Whether it was on intent or non. Twains satirical version of bondage is an abuse to the ferociousnesss 1000000s of slaves suffered at the custodies of white work forces and adult females.
On first glimpse. having slaves may non look to hold any effect. However. Douglass reveals. as Twain omits. the fact that slave owning is a dual edged blade. Douglass’ impermanent proprietor. Mrs. Auld. begins as “a adult female of the kindest bosom and finest feelings…But. alas! [ her ] sort bosom had but a short clip to stay such… That beatific face gave topographic point to that of a devil. Thus is slavery the enemy of both the slave and the slave holder” ( 31 ) . Douglass gives a first-hand history of how having a slave can alter the kindest individual into a heartless Satan.
Couple. nevertheless. writes of slave having “Uncle Silas. [ who visits Jim ] every twenty-four hours or two to pray with him. and Aunt Sally. [ who comes ] in to see if [ Jim is ] comfy and [ has ] plentifulness to eat. and both of them [ are ] sort as could be” ( 225 ) . Though Silas and Sally are slave proprietors. and Jim is a runaway slave that they have captured. they are really sort to him. as they are with their other slaves. Twain’s portraiture of slave proprietors is much kinder than the one depicted by Douglass. This is apprehensible. as Twain is a white male who can place with slave proprietors. and Douglass is a slave. who can place with all the other enslaved Africans of his clip.
While both Twain and Douglass write of the authoritative Africans-enslaved-to-white-men narrative. their portraitures of bondage are really different. Douglass reveals the barbarous force committed upon slaves. while Twain writes of no force against slaves. Douglass besides portrays bondage as detrimental to the character of both slaves and slave proprietors. and one time once more. Couple does non. It is clear that there is a all right line between world and fiction when it comes to the portraiture of bondage. Never once more can the human race commit such wickednesss against one of their ain.
