Frederick Douglass implies in his story that human beings must create their own destiny. He expressed this philosophy in his writings and understood this assumption very well, since he himself was a s. Douglass expresses his belief about destiny by using examples from his previous life in slavery and emphasizing the fact that he alone created the destiny of his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Frederick Douglass was born a slave and under his masters was predestined to die a slave. He had absolutely no say in his future while he was owned by his masters. He came to a point in his life where he decided he didn't want to be a slave his whole life, so he gradually took control of his own destiny. Douglass describes the terrible situation of a slave held for life by saying, “how heavy was the midnight of sorrow that shrouded in darkness the last ray of hope and filled the future with terror and gloom” (Douglass xi). This phrase demonstrates that slaves bound in the chains of slavery have almost no perspective on what will become of them. They are deprived of the right to be their own master and live their lives to the fullest. As Douglass left for Baltimore, he uttered a few final words about his departure from "The Great House." She states: “My desire was so strong, that I thought its gratification would completely compensate for any loss of comfort I would incur by the exchange. I left without regrets and with the highest hopes of future happiness” (Douglass 25). This quote is proof that Douglass was becoming the captain of his own destiny. He accepted the opportunity to go to Baltimore and experience city life. This life-changing choice led him to receive an education and acquire the tools necessary to finally be freed from the bondage of slavery. He was actively taking steps towards his freedom and free will. Douglas's determination to experience free will and freedom was not unchallenged, however. During his journey out of slavery, he met many people who discouraged him or even threatened him to stop his plans for the future and accept the fact that he was someone's property. An example of this is seen in a conversation between Douglass and Master Thomas Auld. “He urged me to be content and be obedient. He told me that if I wanted to be happy I shouldn't make plans for the future. He said if I behaved well, he would take care of me. In fact, he advised me not to think about the future at all and taught me to depend exclusively on him for happiness” (Douglass 88). Douglass's masters tried to teach him that he should not be aware of the future but expect his master to provide for him and control his destiny. His masters would take every measure to ensure he did not escape the custody of their hands. This illustrates the fact that the path to controlling one's destiny is not easy and is often problematic. Frederick Douglass was fortunate to escape the nightmare of slavery and chart the path of his future. It was this action that changed his life and allowed him to take responsibility for his destiny. He avoided a tiring and miserable life in slavery and tried to save others as well. He wanted all slaves to be free and experience the joy of being their own master. Douglass's philosophy on destiny saved himself from slavery and taught others to save themselves by looking.