The Journey to Freedom and Humanization in Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

This study deals with the first stage in Douglass‟s humanization process. It centers on Douglass‟s childhood and early youth, his own experience with slavery, and his own self-education. As a former slave Douglass not only describes his experience with slavery but also exposes and describes the inner workings of the slavery system and how it dehumanizes both slave and master. In addition, he describes the strategy he develops for attaining his freedom. Accordingly, throughout his career as a writer, an orator, and a politician, Douglass devoted himself to the abolition of slavery. The study discusses post-colonial concepts such as power, ignorance or lack of knowledge, marginalization, othering and stereotyping, and finally identity conflict as representatives of the writer‟s lack of freedom and humanization as well as negative forces to be overcome by the writer in his journey towards freedom and humanization. The study also discusses how the theme of ignorance or lack of knowledge as demonstrated in Douglass‟s book confirms the destructive power of denying education to a group of people. The study concludes that Douglass‟s journey from slavery to freedom underwent many obstacles. However, Douglass managed to overcome these obstacles and liberate himself physically and psychologically through a process of self-education as well as physical resistance.