Like all memoirs, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass is
written in hindsight. It is a reflection on the past and no mere
imagining of the mind. Douglass’ does have a point of view,
which is irrefutable, but a reader cannot help but feel that he
does his utmost to write with clarity and fairness. He attempts,
if not succeeds, to create a somewhat objective window into the
life of a particularly lucky and contemplative slave: himself.
For the purposes of this particular examination, his narrative
contains two main groups of writing, and as such two collections
of sound. One of which concerns the tensions Douglass found
himself surrounded by during his tenure as a slave. The latter
deals with moments of peace, reflection, and simplicity. By
taking a period of violence in comparison with one relative
peace, I hope to examine the dynamics of sounds, circumstances,
and their meaning to Douglass. As any reader peruses Douglass’
descriptions of his slave life, certain characteristics crop up
time and time again