Bound for Glory (page 2)

Individuality indeed played a major role in the success of Franklin and Douglass. As a young man, Franklin was so unique that he often "was chide for [his] singularity"2. Douglass had a distinctive character that few slaves could boast, his intentions were simple, "I prefer to be true to myself" (56). This individuality, or what Franklin called "selfhood", seeded from a lack of roots. Slaves, including Douglas, often split from their families at birth and were fortunate to ever see them again. Similarly, Franklin had a family but left home at a young age to seek employment after being disowned by his brother (43). Their individuality drove them to break from their predestined paths (i.e. printer and slave) and live their lives in the manner that they chose, creating their own ideas on topics ranging from freedom to religion.

Franklin and Douglass' philosophies on religion had haunting similarities. Both had a naturally skeptical personality in part due to their upbringing. They thought of religion as a pure thing that was tarnished by the institution of the church. Franklin thought that, "not a single moral Principle was inculcated or enforc'd, their Aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good Citizens" (89). Along the same line, Douglass spoke angrily about how slave-holders could change their whole persona for the Sabbath stating, "I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land" (84). Again, neither denounced faith or religion. Franklin was a more moral man than most church going citizens; he even went as far as trying to eliminate all of his vises one by one.

Bound for Glory page 1
Bound for Glory page 2
Bound for Glory page 3
Bound for Glory page 4
Bound for Glory page 5