This paper argues that Frederick Douglass exposed the American double standard towards Christianity. To verify this thesis, Douglass' Narrative is first put into context, both into the context of its time as well as into the context of its genre, the African American slave narrative. Subsequently, the American sociologist Robert N. Bellah’s term and definition of “American Civil Religion” is introduced. Finally, the author applies a close reading of Douglass’ Narrativethrough Bellah’s findings, whichshows how and why Douglass unveiled the Christian yet cruel values of Southern plantation owners to his readers. By means of conclusion,the paper shows that Douglass's Narrative paved the way for other abolitionist slave writers, who might not had been able to tell their story if the American Christian double-standard had not been exposed by Douglass.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Silent Second Text?
3. American Civil Religion
4. The Road To Heaven Is Paved With Selfish Intentions
5. From Inch To Ell
6. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores how Frederick Douglass dismantles the inherent dualisms of Christianity within the antebellum American context by exposing the double standards of slaveholders. The research investigates how religious rhetoric was used to justify the brutal institution of slavery and how Douglass, by applying Robert N. Bellah’s theory of "American Civil Religion," unmasks the moral ambiguity of those who claimed to be devout Christians while holding fellow human beings in bondage.
- Analysis of Frederick Douglass's Narrative as an abolitionist project.
- Application of Robert N. Bellah’s "American Civil Religion" to the slave narrative genre.
- Examination of Thomas Auld as a personification of Christian double standards.
- Critique of the "imitation and repetition" of distorted religious morality in the South.
- Evaluation of the influence of Douglass's work on subsequent slave and neo-slave narratives.
Excerpt from the Book
4. The Road To Heaven Is Paved With Selfish Intentions
In his Narrative, Frederick Douglass hints to and draws upon the dualisms of Christianity in many passages. Some of these references are implicit, while others are particularly explicit. In the course of this chapter, I will focus on one specific part of Douglass’s Narrative to illustrate and thereby prove my thesis – that is, Chapter IX. The dualisms of Christianity in antebellum American society are represented through the account on Thomas Auld, one of Douglass’s former masters (Douglass 320).
Douglass begins Chapter IX by describing his then-current living situation: After seven years spend in Baltimore, Douglass is forced in spring 1832 to return to the plantation he has once been traded from. The change of location entails for him also a change of masters – leaving Master Hugh, Douglass is now the legal property of Thomas Auld (Douglass 316). Thomas Auld, as Douglass states, was not born into slaveholding, but came to wealth by marriage. He thus, Douglass implies, lacked certain ‘skills’ in handling his power given to him by the institution of slavery: “He was cruel, but cowardly. He commanded without firmness. [...] Having no resources within himself, he was compelled to be the copyist of many, and being such, he was forever the victim of inconsistency.” (Douglass 317) An unpredictable master, sometimes lax and sometimes harsh, Auld failed to be respected among his slaves. His uncertainty in how to treat his human being possessions, were mirrored by his weak character, a character that had “no resources within [itself]” (Douglass 317), that is no ideals or moral and religious values that he is guided or driven by.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the thesis that Frederick Douglass exposed the American double standard regarding Christianity and dismantled existing moral dualisms.
2. The Silent Second Text?: This section discusses the literary tradition of the slave narrative, positioning Equiano’s work as a model and Douglass’s work as a distinct, strategic departure from it.
3. American Civil Religion: The author explains Robert N. Bellah’s theoretical framework to analyze the religious dimension of antebellum American society and its exploitation by slaveholders.
4. The Road To Heaven Is Paved With Selfish Intentions: This chapter provides a close reading of Chapter IX of Douglass’s Narrative, focusing on the character of Thomas Auld to demonstrate how religious conversion was manipulated to justify cruelty.
5. From Inch To Ell: The final chapter reflects on Douglass’s impact as an abolitionist writer, highlighting how he paved the way for other slave and neo-slave narratives to explore the complexities of religion and morality.
6. Bibliography: A comprehensive list of the academic sources and primary texts utilized for this study.
Keywords
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, American Civil Religion, Christianity, Antebellum America, Slavery, Abolitionism, Moral Ambiguity, Robert N. Bellah, Thomas Auld, Slave Narrative, Double Standard, Neo-Slave Narrative, Religious Exegesis, Plantation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The paper examines how Frederick Douglass addresses and critiques the hypocrisy of the American Christian church and slaveholders by highlighting their moral contradictions during the antebellum period.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The core themes include the intersection of religion and slavery, the power of narrative as an abolitionist tool, the sociological concept of Civil Religion, and the development of the African American slave narrative genre.
What is the primary objective of the thesis?
The primary goal is to demonstrate how Douglass utilized his narrative to unveil the "dualism of Christianity," proving that slaveholders used religious language to provide a false moral justification for slavery.
Which theoretical framework is employed?
The author applies Robert N. Bellah’s theory of "American Civil Religion" to analyze how religious and societal values were manipulated to sustain the institution of slavery in the South.
What is discussed in the main body of the paper?
The main body focuses on contextualizing Douglass’s work within the genre, exploring the theoretical implications of Civil Religion, and conducting a close reading of specific passages—particularly regarding Thomas Auld—that showcase the corrupt application of Christian ideals.
How would you describe the key characteristics of this work?
This work is a literary and historical analysis that combines formal textual close-reading with sociological theory to provide a critique of historical religious hypocrisy.
Who is Thomas Auld and why is he central to the argument?
Thomas Auld is one of Douglass’s former masters whose conversion to Methodism serves as the central case study for the author to illustrate how religious hypocrisy was used to intensify and justify slavery.
How does the author relate Douglass's work to later literary movements?
The author argues that Douglass’s bravery in addressing religious ambiguity opened a new path for later writers of the "neo-slave narrative" to examine the complex relationship between slavery, personal identity, and the American religious tradition.
- Quote paper
- Ann Kathrin Weber (Author), 2013, "In God we trust". Dualism of Christianity in "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/274286
