Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, was his first of three autobiographies written about his experiences both during and following his life as a slave. It is his Narrative that lays the foundation for not only his following works, but for an entire genre. The Narrative is Douglass' tool for establishing himself as an abolitionist leader as well as an escaped slave. While the Narrative does hold much merit …showed first 75 words of 2717 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2717 total…of himself as a black man all served to create in him the strength that led him to the control that he desired. It was the struggle between the powers of inner strength and progress and the powers of physical and literal defeats and regressions that allowed Douglass this deeper sense of self . This gave him the determination and the force to fight against the injustices done to him and to his fellow American slaves.