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THE MANY PERCEPTIONS OF FREEDOM
We are all thought to be free. We are able to make our own decisions, do what we wish, and act in a manner that we deem fit for appropriate situations in life. In changing our actions according to certain situations deemed appropriate, are we not complying to some sort of restraint? In this instance, what exactly is defined by the term freedom? According to Douglass in My Bondage and My Freedom, freedom to was about his social privileges and class. Despite what most may think, freedom has taken on many forms of definitions according to different people and other sources alike including The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and Douglass's My Bondage and My Freedom.
The idea of being "free" can be easily seen by taking a look at The Declaration of Independence. Through this document, we see the initial government document where the United Colonies deliver this notion of having the right to be "free" and independent States, separate from Great Britain. Just as slaves would feel, the representatives of the citizens residing in these United Colonies felt as though they were being treated unjustly and demanded their "freedom" from Great Britain. Again, this thought of being "free" is shown through quotes of the Declaration of Independence including "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (The Declaration of Independence 45) By paying close attention to the last portion of this statement about the pursuit of happiness, we can begin understanding our definition of freedom. The natural feeling in gaining freedom is to feel happy and in part work towards pursuing that which makes you happy. In this case with the Declaration of Independence, we see the pursuit of happiness through rights and opportunities to obtain this state of freedom.
By taking a close look at Frederick Douglass's My Bondage and My Freedom, we are able to elaborate on this idea of pursuing happiness from a slave's point of view.
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An example of this idea of pursuing happiness is shown to the reader when Douglass says "It was a resurrection from the dark and pestiferous tomb of slavery, to the heaven of comparative freedom." (My Bondage and My Freedom 47) It is in this portion of the text that young Frederick Douglass has completed his battle with Covey and reflects upon his feelings at that time. In Douglass's mind, he feels as though he is one step closer to freedom. He feels this way because it is here that he has begun his battle, not only against Covey, but also against his personal slave experiences in general. Douglass expresses his feelings about all slaves in general, yet indirectly about himself when he states "When a slave cannot be flogged he is more than half free." (My Bondage and My Freedom 47) Adjusting to this definition of freedom, we see that Douglass has obtained a right, though not legal it is effective.
Douglass has earned the right not to be beaten as he resists his tormentors, and eventually succeeds in rebuilding his hopes of reaching the imaginable dream of freedom. In expressing his feelings about his rights, Douglass states "It recalled to life my crushed self-respect and my self-confidence, and inspired me with a renewed determination to be a FREEMAN." (My Bondage and My Freedom 46) Douglass elaborates on this notion of renewed determination by saying "He has a domain as broad as his own manly heart to defend, and he is really "a power on earth"." (My Bondage and My Freedom 47) The idea of a slave truly being a power on earth is related to the idea of being "free" with rights. Just as whites are thought to have power, we see Douglass's expressions about slaves obtaining such a power and possibly an even greater power as they gain confidence in themselves and begin to believe that "freedom" is possible. It is here that we begin to take a look at the limitations that accompany freedom discussed by Douglass. Just as blacks were provided with restraints against their gaining a sense of freedom, whites and Covey in particular are provided with similar restraints in that slaves have a power within themselves. However, with most slaves, this power is restrained by their masters in order to keep them in fear of what might happen if they attempted to display their power. "Every slaveholder seeks to impress his slave with a belief in the boundlessness of slave territory, and of his own almost illimitable power." (My Bondage and My Freedom 81) The goal of the slaveholder, in this manner, is to keep the slave from attempting to understand the system of slavery. In order to do this; the slaveholder shows his aggression towards his slaves to appear as a God-like figure to them. This leaves the slaves to ponder about what freedom really is and if it even exists.
It is in my opinion that freedom is composed of privileges and rights granted.
This notion of freedom and rights of citizens continues through specific portions of the United States Constitution as well. The U.S. Constitution states "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." (Article XIII United States Constitution 57) According to the above statement , freedom has been defined as the abolishment of slavery. This statement may be viewed as truth in that those who were once slaves are now "free" from any form of slavery unless being punished for some sort of crime. Article XIII of the United States Constitution has without a doubt, to some extent, exemplified a sense of freedom. To slaves at this time, this was seen as "free." However, they hadn't obtained rights that were put to use by those considered United States citizens beforehand.In addition to Article XIII, the Constitution states that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude-" (Article XV Section. 1 United States Constitution 58)
Section number one of Article XV from the U.S. Constitution adds to this notion of freedom. In granting one's freedom, rights of a citizen should also be granted. This section of Article XV has granted one of the most important rights to our society, the right to vote. Not only are blacks receiving their "freedom," but they are also becoming what is said to be more like "American citizens." In a sense, they are now able to take part in governmental events, and act as individuals. Through the United States Constitution, we see a shift in the rights of black slaves. They have come from being slaves, and property, to being "free" and in a sense "real people." This notion of rights being an enormous part of our freedom can be seen today in how our society and nation in general is operated. Through this section of the Constitution we, once again, continue to add to this universally accepted definition of "freedom" and what it includes.
The term freedom has a broad range of meanings, from the complete absence of restraint, to not being bothered or frustrated. Yet, it seems that in the novel entitled "My Bondage and My Freedom," by Frederick Douglass, Douglass seems to view freedom as a sense of independence as a citizen, and from the social restraints of the society in which he was born into. Freedom holds different meanings to different people, but in general, I believe that freedom is a state of being in which one is carefree, in that they are granted the opportunity to think, act, and behave as they would choose to. In addition to this, I believe that freedom does not come easily without its limitations, restraints, and regulations, as do most, if not all things in life. We as a people are granted a freedom, but under a concise view in which we all remain restricted to some sort of slavery equally and collectively. A type of freedom without limitations, rules, or restraints leads us to a sense of chaos. Once again, the universally accepted definition of freedom will be altered depending on the viewpoint of the individual defining the term. However, in defining freedom, we must take into account what is right, the needs of individuals as well as our society, and the unalienable rights granted to all people regardless of status or ethnic background.
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