Although many freed slaves have written on the topic, Frederick Douglass has become the most famous orator in this genre. During his time slaves were sheltered from the privilege of learning the basic skills involved in reading and writing. Douglass was in opposition to these rules, and was dedicated to teach himself how to read and write. This lead to a revolutionary movement, using Douglass’ works as the backbone of this genre. Slave Narratives are works written by the once-oppressed, giving the reader a first hand view on what life as a slave actually was like. Without the works of Douglass, people would not grasp the true adversity slaves were forced into, leaving Slave Narratives as a prominent, heart breaking genre that is vital to understand our nation’s
Although many freed slaves have written on the topic, Frederick Douglass has become the most famous orator in this genre. During his time slaves were sheltered from the privilege of learning the basic skills involved in reading and writing. Douglass was in opposition to these rules, and was dedicated to teach himself how to read and write. This lead to a revolutionary movement, using Douglass’ works as the backbone of this genre. Slave Narratives are works written by the once-oppressed, giving the reader a first hand view on what life as a slave actually was like. Without the works of Douglass, people would not grasp the true adversity slaves were forced into, leaving Slave Narratives as a prominent, heart breaking genre that is vital to understand our nation’s