Separating Families

I believe one of the saddest quotes I've read from the Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass was "Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the ridings of [my mother's] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger." (Pg20-21) In this quotation, Douglass uses descriptive adjectives like "soothing" and "tender" to imaginatively recreate the childhood that he would have known if his mother had been present. This quote had an effect on me because I knew that at a young age, Frederick Douglass and his mom had separated. He had only seen his mother 4-5 times and spent little time with her when they met. It shows how cruel and cold blooded slave owners could be; separating families because they were afraid that the slaves would escape, not allowing family members to see each other, nor letting them be together when they needed each other most. I believe that this is the most horrible thing you can do to someone. The quote shows how the absence of someone important can affect you. Imagine if you were in his place. How would you feel? I would be angry at the slave owners for treating us slaves so poorly. Frederick Douglass shows how social injustice can be expressed through the breakdown of the family structure.
-- posted by John I.