Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 3. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 29)

Kathleen E. Dubs: Frederick Douglass: An Intellectual Slave Narrative

26 KATHLEEN E. DUBS "strategies of self-presentation."

4 This may well be true. But the depth of self-awareness, the knowledge of human character, and the capacity to reflect move Douglass' narrative (and Douglass himself) away from Equiano, and above any other possible influence. The concern for interior rather than exterior activity prevails; and Douglass' method is often to use an incident as material for reflection, or as cause, so that he can comment on its effect. Only rarely is the "moral of the story" left to the reader to discern. A few examples will illustrate. 2 Traditional Aspects Early on, Douglass characterizes one of his first masters, on one of his first residences, explaining that "as [he] received [his] first impressions of slavery on this plantation, [he would] give some description of it, and of slavery as it there existed.'" Mr. Severe was rightly named: he was a cruel man. I have seen him whip a woman, causing the blood to run half an hour at the time; and this, too, in the midst of her crying children, pleading for their mother's release. He seemed to take pleasure in manifesting his fiendish barbarity. Added to his cruelty, he was a profane swearer. It was enough to chill the blood and stiffen the hair of an ordinary man to hear him talk. Scarce a sentence escaped him but that was commenced or concluded by some horrid oath. The field was the place to witness his cruelty and profanity. His presence made it both the field of blood and blasphemy. From the rising till the going down of the sun, he was cursing, raving, cutting, and slashing among the slaves of the field, in the most frightful manner. His career was short. He died very soon after I went to Colonel Lloyd's; and he died as he lived, uttering, with his dying groans, bitter curses and horrid oaths. His death was regarded by the slaves as the result of a merciful providence. Mr. Severe's place was filled by a Mr. Hopkins. He was a very different man. He was less cruel, less profane, and made less noise than Mr. Severe. His course was characterized by 4 Gates, p. xiv. 5 Frederick Douglass, The Ufe of Frederick Douglass

, in Gates, supra (note 1), p. 259. The locations of subsequent quotations will be given parenthetically immediately following each quotation.