American Life Is All About the Fight

American life is all about the fight towards becoming upwardly mobile and making life better. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave written by himself tell the story of struggle and hardship that leads to change and reflection. These two stories although differing in setting and protagonists, share the same level of pain that are universal regardless of race, gender, and age.

Both protagonists are bound by the chains of their existence. The differences are based on age and racial inequality. In terms of style and content, because the two novels were written during different time periods, they will have differences, especially in perspective since Douglass wrote it about himself where as Kaye Gibbons wrote about a made up character. In this essay these differences will be explained along with the universal themes that bring the two together.

Ellen Foster is a young white girl who lives with an abusive father. The father does horrible things to her causing her great suffering. In the beginning of the book the quote: "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure it out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy." demonstrates just how much pain her father inflicts on her by making her feel as though the only way she could escape would be through his death. Escape is a prevalent theme in Ellen Foster and it is through the use of this theme that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave can be compared.

Frederick Douglass was a slave during the time of African slavery in America. Through this book the reader sees his struggle and his wish for not just freedom, but knowledge to overcome his adversities. Like Ellen who seeks to better herself regardless of her problems, Douglass uses determination to set rise to a desire to improve and seek a better existence. In chapter 1 of the narrative, he describes the breakdown of the family structure to create a sense of loss for the reader. He uses words like "soothingly" to show a longing for his childhood. "Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother's] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger." further explains to the reader that slaves were made rather than born. They, like Ellen were made to suffer to become something else than they were naturally meant to be.

In chapter 14 of Ellen Foster, Ellen describes her disgust with Dora and Nadine: "I would really like to paint them one of my brooding oceans but they would miss the point I am sure of how the ocean looks strong and beautiful and sad at the same time and that is really something if you think about it." Ellen shares that she pities these two girls for their ignorance and knows they'll never see or appreciate things the way she does. Gibbons use of language in this chapter akins to her desire to create layered images within the story. Unlike Douglass' narrative which is more forthcoming and persuasive, Gibbons novel leans towards the mysterious. In regards to comparison, like Ellen, Douglass feels pity towards slave owners and their lack of awareness of the horrors of slavery.

Towards the end of chapter 2, Douglass describes the singing of the slaves and the meaning interpreted by the whites. "I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs. I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear." Whites assumed the songs the slaves sung were of joy and happiness when in reality they were of pain and misery. Whites were oblivious either by choice or innocence, of the plight of slaves and assumed any form of singing was a sign of joy. In reality as Douglass explains, the singing was a means for slaves to communicate their grievances even send messages to one another.

This quote also presents another key difference in regards to style and content with the two works. Where Ellen layers and complicates, Douglass tries to simplify and explain. His whole narrative is a means of analysis of slave life and white's treatment of slaves. They in essence, are the opposite in terms of writing style and prove that through their aims and themes.

Both Ellen Foster and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave deal with racial inequality and racial tension. In chapter 4 of Ellen Foster, aunt Nadine describes her disdain for the colored town as she passes it in the train: "My aunt is so glad to be out of a colored town. She unlocks her door now because she feels safe." The story takes place in the American south in the 1970's and shares the same racial tension as Douglass during the times of slavery in the late 18th to late 19th century. Even though the times have changed and blacks were not enslaved, they still lived during Ellen's time impoverished with little to no rights and were treated less than like in Douglass time.

Later towards the end of Ellen Foster it is here that she reveals to the reader just how hard it was for a black person in her time to exist because even though she herself had lived a life full of neglect, abuse, and poverty, her life was comparatively easier to better and change than her black best friend's, Starletta. "I came a long way to get here but when you think about it real hard you will see that old Starletta came even farther ... And all this time I thought I had the hardest row to hoe." Starletta, no matter how hard she worked and strived to be better, live better, she would always have to face the fact that she is not white in a white dominated society.

Frederick also had to deal with this realization but in a much harsher reality. "My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute" This quote taken from chapter 10 shows how much brutality slaves are made to endure and how much of the intangible parts of a man is destroyed to make him into the slave his masters desire. Like Ellen, Frederick has to overcome these debasing obstacles and pursue his desire to be free.