– Thomas, the husband of Lucretia Auld, is a very cruel owner who puts on airs because he hasn’t owned slaves from birth. Douglass lives with him after his first stint in Baltimore; by this time, Lucretia has died and Thomas has remarried to Rowena Hamilton. Thomas becomes deeply religious while Douglass works for him, but this only makes him a crueler master.
Captain Thomas Auld Quotes in The Narrative of Frederick Douglass
The The Narrative of Frederick Douglass quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Thomas Auld or refer to Captain Thomas Auld. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
“A great many times have we poor creatures been nearly perishing with hunger, when food in abundance lay mouldering in the safe and smoke-house, and our pious mistress was aware of the fact; and yet that mistress and her husband [Rowena Hamilton and Thomas Auld] would kneel every morning, and pray that God would bless them in basket and store!”
Related Characters:
Frederick Douglass (speaker), Captain Thomas Auld, Rowena Hamilton
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“In August, 1832, my master attended a Methodist camp-meeting held in the Bay-side, Talbot county, and there experienced religion…if it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways; for I believe him to have been a much worse man after his conversion than before. Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.”
Related Characters:
Frederick Douglass (speaker), Captain Thomas Auld
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Captain Thomas Auld Character Timeline in The Narrative of Frederick Douglass
The timeline below shows where the character Captain Thomas Auld appears in The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...is made up of two sons, Andrew and Richard, a daughter, Lucretia, and her husband, Captain Thomas Auld . Together, they live on a single house on the plantation of Colonel Edward Lloyd,...
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...to and from Baltimore in order to sell the goods. This ship is captained by Thomas Auld and manned by a small group of slaves. The slaves who worked on the ship...
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Chapter 5
...Lloyd plantation in order to live in Baltimore with Mr. Hugh Auld, the brother of Captain Thomas Auld . Douglass leaves joyfully, and eagerly cleans himself up in order to receive a pair...
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Chapter 8
Master Thomas remarries a woman named Rowena Hamilton. Thomas and Hugh have a falling-out, and as a...
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Chapter 9
...St. Michael’s in March of 1832. It has been seven years since Douglass lived with Master Thomas Auld, and Douglass is soon reminded of the cruel spirit of Thomas and his wife....
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Thomas Auld is particularly mean and immoral because he gained his slaves by marriage. He attempts to...
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In August of 1932, Thomas Auld goes to a Methodist camp-meeting and returns with strong religious faith. Douglass hopes that this...
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Preachers routinely come to Thomas Auld ’s house, and eat well while the slaves starve. However, not all of the white...
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Master Thomas is particularly abusive to Henny, whose deformed arms prevent her from doing any work but...
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Douglass and Master Thomas do not get along, because Thomas thinks Douglass’s city upbringing has made him headstrong. Douglass...
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Chapter 10
On January 1st, 1833, Douglass leaves Master Thomas ’s to work as a field hand for Mr. Covey. Douglass’s city upbringing makes him...
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...demands he continue working. Douglass rises and resumes work, but he vows to complain to Master Thomas about Covey’s treatment. After work, a disoriented Douglass ignores Covey’s orders to stay put and...
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While languishing in jail, Douglass abandons hope. His master, Thomas Auld , announces plans to send him to Alabama. However, Thomas decides instead to send Douglass...
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Chapter 11
Master Thomas comes to Baltimore, and Douglass requests that he be allowed to work for pay. Thomas...
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