Symbolism and Metaphor in Frederick Douglass’s Nar
Symbolism and Metaphor in Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass included various symbolic and metaphorical literary devices within his written work, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In the scene where Douglass is on a ship being sent to Baltimore and leaving Colonel Lloyd’s plantation he wrote: “I then placed myself in the bows of the sloop, and there spent the remainder of the day looking ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance rather than in things near by or behind” (18). He used the words, “the distance” and “looking ahead” as metaphors for freedom, the future, hope, change, something better, new horizons, emancipation, self-determinism, liberty, decolonization, release, and sovereignty (18). He did not want to dwell on the past nor the situation and people surrounding him, but saw into the distance; that is, he saw a new way of life, a style of life beyond his physical grasp, but within his visionary, philosophical, and political scope.
Douglass chose his words wisely: He did not write that he looked into the ocean’s distance, yet looked “ahead” (18). The ocean is symbolic for emotions and the emotional turmoil and anguish he may have endured. Looking “ahead” and into “the distance” meant he was looking through the air, which is symbolic for thought and reason. He did not give his past emotional experience power over his reason and intellect. By leaving out the fact that he probably looked at the ocean in reality and by not mentioning looking into the ocean or at the water, Douglass is symbolically suggesting that he used his wisdom and intellect to reason with and work out his situation the best way he could. In this passage, the important element is what he does not write—not what he writes. We understand and know that the ocean is there and whether it is rocky or calm is unwritten. He bypassed writing about the ocean, its waves, and any of the ocean’s calmness knowing that his readership would understand that he is was not emotionally reactive nor would he allow emotional overreaction to interfere with his noetic and just quest for change. But, was he looking at "the distance" within the ocean?
Strictly speaking, while looking out to sea and while sailing on a ship, “the distance” and “looking ahead” may have defined the ocean and what he could have literally seen with his two eyes (18). Read in a literal context, he would have seen hills and valleys of ocean, movement, the sky, clouds, maybe some birds, and possibly some land. Intuitively, we understand that Douglass used a literary metaphor that was symbolic to his life experience, which encompassed an entire spectrum of injustices, unfairness, disethics, and the intolerability of his experience as a slave, so that “interesting” himself “in the distance” would refer to a resolution.
Douglas summed up his experience and the political irrational philosophy of slavery through the symbolic and metaphorical usage of the word “behind” in this passage and scene. He wrote (repeated): “I then placed myself in the bows of the sloop, and there spent the remainder of the day looking ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance rather than in things near by or behind” (18). He left the violence, wrongs, and horrors he experienced “behind” in his conscience, so he could clear the way to envision a future that involved positive change and any semblance of freedom. In a literal sense, the word “behind” would refer to his position of sight on the sloop, whether “behind” literally related to the scenery, people, sky, or the wood of the ship. He could simply look behind him to view the immediate view. “Behind” is a metaphor and symbolic for slavery, his history, the African captured slaves’ plight, the breaking of slaves, and his personal sorrow, suffering, and sense of injustice.
He wrote that he placed himself in “the bows”, which was in the front of the ship. This may have been symbolic to being in charge of his own destiny, steering the direction of his own life, securing the reins over his choices and lifestyle, and being in control over his physical safety and economic livelihood. Whether Douglass literally stood or sat in the bows of the sloop is uncertain, but standing near the helm, the oars, or central control of the ship, where he could have seen greatest without hindrance or obstruction to his physical or spiritual sight related to the idea of changing the future, changing the destiny of slaves, and his desire to manifest a new philosophy and political situation concerning slavery. He claimed he “placed himself in the bows”, which was a metaphor for taking the lead, being a leader—not a follower, and being confident enough to be the person in everyone’s view when others looked towards the future (18).
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York, Dover, 1995.
Frederick Douglass included various symbolic and metaphorical literary devices within his written work, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In the scene where Douglass is on a ship being sent to Baltimore and leaving Colonel Lloyd’s plantation he wrote: “I then placed myself in the bows of the sloop, and there spent the remainder of the day looking ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance rather than in things near by or behind” (18). He used the words, “the distance” and “looking ahead” as metaphors for freedom, the future, hope, change, something better, new horizons, emancipation, self-determinism, liberty, decolonization, release, and sovereignty (18). He did not want to dwell on the past nor the situation and people surrounding him, but saw into the distance; that is, he saw a new way of life, a style of life beyond his physical grasp, but within his visionary, philosophical, and political scope.
Douglass chose his words wisely: He did not write that he looked into the ocean’s distance, yet looked “ahead” (18). The ocean is symbolic for emotions and the emotional turmoil and anguish he may have endured. Looking “ahead” and into “the distance” meant he was looking through the air, which is symbolic for thought and reason. He did not give his past emotional experience power over his reason and intellect. By leaving out the fact that he probably looked at the ocean in reality and by not mentioning looking into the ocean or at the water, Douglass is symbolically suggesting that he used his wisdom and intellect to reason with and work out his situation the best way he could. In this passage, the important element is what he does not write—not what he writes. We understand and know that the ocean is there and whether it is rocky or calm is unwritten. He bypassed writing about the ocean, its waves, and any of the ocean’s calmness knowing that his readership would understand that he is was not emotionally reactive nor would he allow emotional overreaction to interfere with his noetic and just quest for change. But, was he looking at "the distance" within the ocean?
Strictly speaking, while looking out to sea and while sailing on a ship, “the distance” and “looking ahead” may have defined the ocean and what he could have literally seen with his two eyes (18). Read in a literal context, he would have seen hills and valleys of ocean, movement, the sky, clouds, maybe some birds, and possibly some land. Intuitively, we understand that Douglass used a literary metaphor that was symbolic to his life experience, which encompassed an entire spectrum of injustices, unfairness, disethics, and the intolerability of his experience as a slave, so that “interesting” himself “in the distance” would refer to a resolution.
Douglas summed up his experience and the political irrational philosophy of slavery through the symbolic and metaphorical usage of the word “behind” in this passage and scene. He wrote (repeated): “I then placed myself in the bows of the sloop, and there spent the remainder of the day looking ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance rather than in things near by or behind” (18). He left the violence, wrongs, and horrors he experienced “behind” in his conscience, so he could clear the way to envision a future that involved positive change and any semblance of freedom. In a literal sense, the word “behind” would refer to his position of sight on the sloop, whether “behind” literally related to the scenery, people, sky, or the wood of the ship. He could simply look behind him to view the immediate view. “Behind” is a metaphor and symbolic for slavery, his history, the African captured slaves’ plight, the breaking of slaves, and his personal sorrow, suffering, and sense of injustice.
He wrote that he placed himself in “the bows”, which was in the front of the ship. This may have been symbolic to being in charge of his own destiny, steering the direction of his own life, securing the reins over his choices and lifestyle, and being in control over his physical safety and economic livelihood. Whether Douglass literally stood or sat in the bows of the sloop is uncertain, but standing near the helm, the oars, or central control of the ship, where he could have seen greatest without hindrance or obstruction to his physical or spiritual sight related to the idea of changing the future, changing the destiny of slaves, and his desire to manifest a new philosophy and political situation concerning slavery. He claimed he “placed himself in the bows”, which was a metaphor for taking the lead, being a leader—not a follower, and being confident enough to be the person in everyone’s view when others looked towards the future (18).
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York, Dover, 1995.
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