Salamishaj Tillet, the author of the NYT article on The Birth of a Nation, makes very strong claims about women’s rights which can be applied to Fredrick Douglass’ Narrative, allowing us to examine the story with a different mindset. Tillet’s claim about women’s issues being marginalized twice is certainly no understatement. The very foundation for Turner’s rebellion and thus The Birth of a Nation was rape, and for the film to not be centered around that is a slap in the face of those victimized, or those who experienced firsthand the horrors of rape. In the very beginning of Douglass’ Narrative, he tells us of his lineage, ensuring to include that he is the son of a white man. Immediately following this is his description of the norm at the time, which was for slaveowners to rape their slaves in an attempt to increase their slave population. These “common practices” were made front and center in the very beginning of Douglass’ narrative as a way of bringing attention to the injustice, a stark contrast to The Birth of a Nation which leaves victims of rape in silence. I found Tillet’s example of Esther’s rape speaks volumes to this point, and i wholeheartedly agree with her when she considers it to be retrograde to not allow her to speak. Fredrick Douglass’ Narrative and The Birth of a Nation run deep contrasts in the way the issue of rape is presented.