In chapter one of the book, Douglass talks about age. “ I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting time, harvest time, cherry time, spring-time, or fall time. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness for me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.”(236) This quote had a great impact on me while I started reading the text. The fact that the slaves were deprived of basic ”living being” information shook me to the core. They were stripped off basic knowledge. When Douglass mentioned that why should he be deprived of basic information, it just goes to say that back then, masters thought that age is just insignificant because of the fact that knowing the actual age would add to the eruption of a conflict.
The United States had a terrible slavery system, which the world is very well aware of. They would be tortured, tied up, and received whippings until blood started flowing from their body. This is definitely gruesome for anyone experiencing it from the other lens of view, just like Douglass was witnessing it with her Aunt Hester. Another quote that really caught my attention was, “Her arms were stretched up at their full length so that she stood upon the ends of her toes. He then said to her, “Now, you d——d b——h, I’ll learn you how to disobey my orders!”(239) and after rolling up his sleeves, he commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red blood (amid heart-rending shrieks from her, and horrid oaths from him) came dripping to the floor.” This is what happened when the slaves would disobey the masters, and the masters would set an example for them. Douglass uses a very on-point writing style. It made it really interesting for me to comprehend and made me feel connected. His choice of words and the description of the scenes made me feel like I was with him witnessing the horrible acts that were done to the slaves. Nonetheless, Douglass’s writing style made it possible to reach the reader’s heart and mind.
Douglass refers to the experience of watching his aunt be beaten like this as “the bloodstained gate” through which he passed as a boy – into the knowledge of this kind of sadism and brutality. We can also see that, while Hester is the primary victim here, all those who are made to watch are also victims.