Are We Really Any Better?

Reading about slavery is biased. Not only because we have been educated with the idea that slavery is evil, twisted, and cruel (amongst other things) but because we are commenting on the social order of a society that existed years ago.  It is true that there are still people alive who lived during the time of segregation (Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a Dream” speech only fifty years ago this coming Thursday August 28) but these people were mostly supporters of the civil rights movement, or won’t admit that they weren’t. Today, slavery is seen as a monstrosity. We wouldn’t have done what the slaveholders did had we lived in the United States before the Civil War… or would we? Reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave made me ponder this question more than I ever have before. Would I really have the same view of slavery as I have now if I’d lived then, or would I be another Mr. Severe?

The whipping of Aunt Hester is the goriest scene in the first two chapters. It shows how deep the slaveholders were willing to go to keep their slaves in line. Not only was Aunt Hester stripped of her clothing, but of her dignity as well. This whipping, according to Douglass, was nothing compared to the punishments offered by Mr. Severe. Severe was cruel, he was vicious, and he was relentless; not a good combination for someone who has hundreds of life in their hands. The entire slave population in Douglass’s farm thanked God for the death of Mr. Severe, seeing Mr. Hopkins as a good overseer compared to what they used to have. The real question remains whether Mr. Hopkins was any better than Mr. Severe, and whether we are any better than either of them now. 

Other than the whippings and punishment, the two first chapters in the book tell of smaller rights that slaves were stripped of, rights so essential and small that we rarely even consider what would happen if they were taken away from us. The right to know their birthday and their age. The right to a mother’s love and company. The right to appropriate clothing. All these were violated on a daily basis in slave plantations, and as you read, it seems terrible. Then again, how many people today still live in conditions of such extreme poverty that they cannot afford any clothing or food?

Even in today’s society there are different cultures which take some rights that are essential in others. For example: it is a common stereotype that Muslims grant women no rights and live in a completely male-centered society. To western cultures like us this may seem cruel and highly demoralizing. For the Muslims it is a way of life. Applying this logic it is possible to excuse slavery as a “way of life,” which it was as a matter of fact. But was it right?

Basically the first two chapters of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave made me question the validity of history above anything else. Is perspective a big enough factor to excuse some of the monstrosities that occurred in our past? Can we ignore what Hitler did in World War II because he had what he thought was legitimate purpose? Can we write off slavery as a way of life because the whites thought it was correct at the time? Furthermore, will people in the future see the constant scrabble for gay rights we have now as we see the struggle for the end of segregation today?

History I have found, is a terrible futile search for truth, which is impossible to find simply because there is no right answer. Do I still believe slavery was one of the most brutal occurrences in our past? Yes. Do I still remain convinced that I would not be a terrible master even if I had lived during Frederick Douglass’s time? Rather naively, yes. Is it possible to condemn everyone who caused damage to slaves like Douglass because of what they were taught, forced, and raised to do? Sadly…not really.