Frederick Douglass

What does Douglass regret in his memories of his parents?

OR
What qualities does Douglass associated with memories of his mother? Why wasn’t be able to live with her?
OR
Why could not Frederick Douglass remember much about his mother?
OR
What does Frederick Douglass tell about his mother in ‘Frederick Douglass’?
OR
What are the memories of Frederick Douglass about his mother?
Answer:
The strong sense of regret lies in the fact that he did not know who his father was and that he was separated from
his mother as an infant. What makes the situation worse is that there is the common speculation that his father is a
white man, and that his master is his father. He knows that his mother was a black woman named Harriet Bailey
from whom he was separated because it was the common custom in that part of Maryland that the children were
thus separated from their mothers, hindering the natural bond between the mother and the child. He had seen his
mother only four or five times when she met him after walking twelve miles from Mr Stewart’s place where she
worked as the field hand.

She had to be back in the field before the sunrise if she had to escape the penalty of whipping from the slave master.
This left the mother and child very little time and scope for communication. The sad outcome of this is that when he
lost her when he was around seven, he didn’t feel the usual emotions of sorrow. The sudden death of the mother
put an end to whatever chance the author had of knowing who his father was. Thus, we see that a slave child is an
emotionally deprived child.

Describe the sufferings of the slaves in the hands of the whites.

Answer:
The dreadful experience of slavery starts the very minute a child is born. The child is separated from the mother in
its infancy, breaking the bond between the mother and the child. Even after the mother is not allowed to meet the
child often, and this again goes against the possibility of establishing an emotional bond. The child has to suffer the
psychological impact of not knowing who the father is. These emotional problems are combined with physical
harassment. The slaves are constantly whipped by not only their slave masters but also others such as overseers and
the slave master’s white children. Those slaves who are mulatto children of the white master face worse problems
because their white master’s wife becomes their arch enemy. Suspecting her husband’s favouritism towards his
mulatto children, the wife pressurises the master to sell these slaves.

The women are in an even worse situation. Their plight as field hands is pitiable. They can move out only after
nightfall and have to be back at work at dawn unless they have permission from their masters. The fact remains that
their cruel masters do not easily give them such liberty. The references to the women who have had their heads
slashed and body completely bruised with the beatings given with the cow skin are a testimony to the inhuman
treatment imposed out to the slaves by their white masters.

Thus, the lesson, which is a first-hand narration of Frederick Douglass, makes the readers aware of the heart-
wrenching plight of the slaves.

Why is the slaveholder compelled to sell his mulatto children, according to Douglass?
Answer:
Frederick Douglass was a mulatto child. Children who have one black and one white parent are called mulatto
children. Such mulatto children are born to white slaveholders who very often keep their black women slaves as
their mistresses.
According to Frederick Douglass, such slaveholders are compelled to sell their mulatto children because such slaves
invariably suffer greater hardships than others. They are a constant offence to their white mistress (wife of the white
master). She is ever disposed to find fault with them; they can seldom do anything to please her; she is never better
pleased than when she sees them under the lash, especially when she suspects her husband of showing to his
mulatto children favours which he withholds from his black slaves. Consequently, the master is frequently compelled
to sell his mulatto slaves for two reasons – out of deference to the feelings of his white wife as well as on
humanitarian grounds. If he does not do so, he would be forced to not only whip them himself but must also stand
by and see a white son tie up his brother, who is of a few shades darker complexion than himself, and ply the gory
lash to his naked back.

Why were the slaves kept ignorant from knowing their birth dates?
Answer:
The white masters want their slaves to be totally ignorant of their parentage. They hide their date of birth and seal
the prospects of the slave children knowing who their fathers are. The slave children seldom come nearer to their
birthday than planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, springtime, or fall-time. It is as if the society of the whites has
a conspiracy of emotionally depriving the black children of a sense of belonging. The slave children cannot cling to
any root and are forced to be with their masters. This ploy on the part of the white masters must have been to
ensure that the slave children grew up with no self-confidence. Such a meek existence would ensure that the
children did not rebel against the injustice meted out to them in any way.