Research Paper on:
Ideological Comparison of Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Douglass

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Frederick Douglass and Henry David Thoreau Written by Susan A. Nelson - July, 2001 For More Information On This Paper Please   Where does one begin to make a comparison between two such ostensibly diametrically opposed men? At the onset, there is the obvious divergence -- between not only the general  backgrounds of these American authors -- but also their actual compositions. Clearly, the fact is that one could (and did) write first hand about the abhorrent conditions inherent  in slavery, while the other could only pen his distant malcontent with a political/ moral system so relished by his White brethren. Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave (in 1838)  who just seven years later wrote about his all-too-personal experiences in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. He was born on the Eastern Shore  of Maryland in February 1818, on a day that was completely unbeknownst to him. Conversely, Henry Thoreaus essay, Civil Disobedience espoused his heart-felt beliefs relevant to an overzealous  political system and Mans inhumanity to Man. Moreover, his background was such that Thoreau had no doubt as to his family of origin or his actual day of birth  (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave, 2001 and See Also Thoreau, 1993). This comparative essay examines the critically acclaimed works by these two men --  looking for the elements of connection and disparity. Frederick Douglass autobiography takes us from his birth to the time when he began his very vocal activities as an abolitionist.  In a work filled with pain and pathos, like Thoreau he is low-key and understated, yet both men bring passion to their text in bold relief. In fact, one