Absolute Power

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Absolute Power?

“…slavery can change a saint into a sinner,” (Douglass, pg 142). The question is can that really be true? Could the power behind slavery be that corruptive? In My Bondage and My Freedom Fredrick Douglass makes the claim that slavery can be just as bad for the slave-owner as it is for the slave. Realizing that the physical torments were no where near same Douglass examines the mental turmoil’s that were experienced by the slaveholders. But what does that have to do with power? Douglass claims that this anguish on the slaveholders was brought on by slavery and the power it contains. This power was so strong that it could turn any kind hearted person into a cold uncaring human being. However, Douglass seems to neglect the idea of human nature, he looks only at the idea of how the power uses the people instead of how people use the power. It is not power that makes a person bad but it is a person that can tarnish and abuse a power.
Fredrick Douglass uses his first master to support his claim. Describing his constant unhappy state; with staggered movements and low mutterings. At a war with his own soul and the world around him was how Douglass described him to be. Douglass seemed to think that this inner battle was caused by a great struggle between kindness and the urge for the power. There were other possibilities however, that Douglass seemed to overlook. His master’s problems may not have been caused by a power struggle at all. He may have been suffering from some sort of mental aliment such as depression or schizophrenia, or he might have just been an abusive alcoholic who took everything out on his slaves. There are endless amounts of possibilities for a cause behind this mans his awkward actions and harsh treatment of his slaves. The point is that Douglass only seemed to look into one option without surveying the rest.
Another supporting experience with Douglass’ claim was his experi...