Jean-Jacques Rousseau Confessions and Others and Frederick

¶ … jean-Jacques rousseau Confessions and others and Frederick Douglas Narrative of the Life

Upon first impression, few similarities appear between Confessions, the autobiography of Jean Jacques Rousseau, and The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The former is written by a Caucasian European in the 18th century; the latter by an African-American who lived in the 19th century. However, upon examining these works of literature more acutely, a number of similarities between the authors, their lives, and their works of literature emerge. Both men spent a portion of their lives enslaved. Both reveal a number of less than desirable elements of their lives within their manuscripts. Both experienced revelatory moments upon learning to read and write, and went on to engage in careers that were tempered by politics. In retrospect, a close examination of these books reveals that each author had to overcome similar circumstances in life in order to achieve an adulthood in which they were free to pursue their political views.

One of the most powerful events that Douglass describes within his narration is learning to read. This event would have immense significance for him, as it would prove instrumental in aiding him in his fight for liberation and in furthering his abolitionist causes. The author initially was taught a few letters by one of the wives of his owners before her husband decided that there was too much danger in doing so. However, Douglass took great strides to continue pursuing his education in this subject, and would eventually learn to read and write with the help of a few neighborhood acquaintances. However, his achievement in this aspect of learning would highly influence the remainder of his life, as he was able to read abolitionist news and learn that his own views on the subject were shared with a widely growing number of people. In many respects his political agenda was solidified via this crucial event in his life.

It is highly noteworthy that Rousseau also details his recollection of learning to read. In fact, the author attributes a substantial amount of significance to this fact, albeit doing so was less a dire issue for the European that it was for his African-American counterpart. One of Rousseau's earliest memories is of reading, which signifies a degree of autonomy for a child who was only five years old at the time he accomplished this achievement. Yet one of the fundamental aspects of Rousseau's autobiographical work revolves around his learning to read, since the author traces this event to an awakening of consciousness that was distinct from other childhood pursuits. He would go on to read avidly, first with his family and later on autonomously; his learning to read so early fostered a general comprehension that would eventually rear itself in his own literary, scholastic, and political tendencies -- much like those of Douglass.

Additionally, both authors led hard lives. A series of early misfortunes left Rousseau without his parents. His mother died early and his father abandoned him not long afterwards. He was forced to grow up living in various houses of degrees of strangers, and found himself a slave and a runaway at alternate parts of his life. These last two aspects of Rousseau's life resonate with that of Douglass. As an African-American born into chattel slavery, Douglass also had a decidedly rough childhood. His father is never explicitly made clear, and he also had to sever relations with his mother at an early age due to the nature of the profession each had. And, in much the same way that Rousseau decided to run away to attempt to forge a better life, Douglass did as well. He was actually jailed for planning to run away with other slaves. Years later, while living in the northern part of the country he actually is able to run away and gain his freedom as a result. Rousseau was able to gain a degree of liberty in his running away as well, as his doing so allowed him to pursue life in the fashion that he wished to do, giving vent to all of the passions he felt.