In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by himself, the narrator's mental life is both a complex voice and a powerful instrument. Douglass is consumed by seemingly contradictory roles. His literacy and eloquence exclude him from the group he attempts to represent. Therefore, he must create his character and narrative voice in a state of constant duality. This duality is in the space between his slave life and his free life, his ignorance and his education, his history and his purpose. He needs to communicate an authentic slave life to qualify as a representative of the slave community. But to appeal to his white audience, he must maintain this authenticity despite the intellectual growth that will distinguish him from his fellow slaves. Separation from the group is dangerous to its legitimacy and necessary for observation. Douglass must detach himself from his history as a slave without losing his connection to it. It also reaches out to its white audience while remaining an obviously separate entity. At the same time he tells a story, acts as a protagonist and defends an argument. He embraces this complex voice by creating a narrator stuck between two distinctly separate realms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It is crucial to note that Douglass's narrative is a tool in this struggle for freedom, and he is therefore certainly committed to making it convincing. The narrative voice he adopts speaks of this task. He is careful to create a particular mindset that makes him doubly authentic in depicting the life of a slave and qualified to win the respect of readers. His position as both observer and participant is carefully cultivated until the reader is convinced that he has a distinct perspective: he can experience and analyze at the same time. Douglass skillfully separates and identifies with the slaves in his life story. He will refer to slaves like himself as "Colonel Lloyd's slaves" and a few lines earlier he had referred to his position as one of these slaves as "my stay on Colonel Lloyd's plantation" (2011). This is an example of subtle oscillation in the narrator's voice, when Douglass occupies the role of both visitor and participant. He cultivates this double voice from the beginning of his Narrative. Early in his life, even though he is still a slave, he will often refer to "slaves" as if he were outside of this group. An example of this observer quality is in the section on slave songs, "to which [he traces his] first vague conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery" (2006). Douglass allows his non-slave readers to experience this glimmer by aligning his perspective with theirs. He is an innocent observer impressed by something completely unknown. This childlike gaze is therefore a useful tool, as it connects Douglass to his audience by paralleling their innocent state. He separates himself from his fellow slaves without losing his status as an authentic member of their community. His language constructs a state of suspension somewhere above or outside the group of which he is actually a part: "They would make the thick old woods ring, for miles around, with their wild songs, at the same time revealing the highest joy and deepest sadness." . They composed and sang as they went, without consulting either the tempo or the melody." (2005). Douglass clearly excludes himself from this group with the repeated "they". His separation seems quite natural because he is a child among adults. L 'observation is hisnatural state at this stage. The exaggeration in phrases like “for miles around,” “highest joy,” and “deepest sadness,” build the necessary tone of childlike revelation. Not only does it realistically separate itself to observe and tell, but it separates itself through the perspective that is most accessible to the wide-eyed white reader's point of view. While the naïve voice serves a purpose in being familiar to his audience, Douglass carefully avoids letting readers assume too much familiarity. It must dwell squarely in the space between slave and non-slave to adequately represent one group and win the ear of the other. Moments after assuming his position as an innocent outside observer, Douglass will include himself in the group watching. Now, unlike his audience, he is "inside the circle; so that [he] has neither seen nor heard as those outside might see and hear" (2006). This disclaimer accomplishes several important aspects of Dougless's task. He explicitly states that his experience is exclusive and somewhat mysterious to convey the authenticity of his voice. He is defining the distinct “inside” and “outside” realms of the slave's experience to highlight his special status as someone straddling two worlds. Although he separated himself from those within this same “circle” to adequately narrate their actions and strengthen the appeal of his argument, he easily reenters the circle to become its protagonist and representative. This shifting back and forth between “inside” and “outside” is a constant and vital aspect of Narrative. Constantly work to tell a good story and make a good point. Douglas's distinctive inside/outside voice not only applies to his role as a slave, but also suggests his status among his readers. White readers are as distinct and exclusive a category as the slave “circle.” And his role within this new group is equally singular and unique. His eloquence and education align him with the culture he is speaking to. As the voice of childhood was parallel to their gaze, its establishment of an intellectual life serves to qualify an analyzing mind. Once again, it supports narrative and argument doubly. His intellectual drive is a major force in his character development. Reading and learning become necessary for Douglass's survival, which he often suggests by comparing them to food. He says he exchanged real bread at a young age for reading lessons, which he considers "that most precious bread of knowledge" (2017). Douglass later states that the "Liberator" newspaper "became my flesh and drink" (2053). He is a man who is hungry for education. The intensity of his desire explains the great distance he has travelled, once again authenticating his life story. It is infusing a political message with humanity by showing us the motivations and experiences of its protagonist. Throughout the tale, Douglass insists that the mind must be liberated before the slave can be free. His life essentially consists of implementing this theory. We are reading the proof itself as we come to understand the concept, experiencing duality anew. Douglass's intellectual activities also serve to qualify his theories by reminding us that he is an educated orator despite his slave beginnings. Like the typical college diploma hanging on an office wall, evidence of his education is intended to trigger a high level of respect for his ideas. Douglas understands that this unique mental life makes him not simply an observer, but a leader. He rises above the average slaves, re-aligning his gaze with.