Fighting the Myth - Frederick Douglass and the Construction of his Identity

This article focuses upon Frederick Douglass’ self-representation in response to his growth in stature and education as a means of examining the complexities of not only having a commitment to the abolitionist cause, but also in constructing and developing his own ‘American’ identity. Douglass’s impassioned arguments against the ‘barbarous’ nature of slavery, as well as his own personal quest to capitalise on his ‘needed room’ in the telling of both ‘ facts’ and ‘philosophy’ against slavery became a coexisting relationship that was abundant throughout his popular autobiographies and speeches. Throughout the rhetorical intent of his works lies a strong desire to be accepted and integrated into American culture. His autobiographies in particular function as implicit evidence for this double-tongued element to his thought which, arguably, dares to go beyond the traditional nature of an ex-slave’s narrative.