“There are three keys to life: believe in yourself, take advantage of every opportunity, and use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and for Society (IUPUI, NP). “Heard from the mouth of Frederick Douglass himself, he adopted these three “rules” which allowed his work to be superior to that of other authors of his time. Frederick could identify with the realist point of view because until the age of 20 he was a slave, alone on a plantation. This literary period began in 1860 and ended around 1910. Frederick was at the height of his writing when this movement occurred, being only about forty years old, he was a fresh and energetic writer; who did not hesitate to express his opinion. Douglass endured a brutal life as he was born into slavery, a major disadvantage, which challenged him to transform not only his own life but also the lives of others so that they would not have to endure torture . the life of a slave. Douglass was betrayed by his family as they dropped him off on a plantation because they couldn't take care of him (PBS NP). His brutal life as a slave was made worse by the fact that his parents gave him only one thing in life: a white master. This tragic event allowed Douglass to put immense passion and emotion into his writings. He not only wrote to degrade slave society, but also to make a name for himself because he had no family to fall back on. His contributions to literature were immeasurable because he wrote from a perspective that had never been studied. He added to Southern culture the specific events that occurred and the real life of a slave that historians then took up. He taught himself to read and write, so his form was completely unique and personal (D...... middle of paper ......lass.org/douglass_bio.htmlA+E Television Networks,." Frederick Douglass Bio of the Month." LLC. 1996. Web. May 21, 2014. .Fremarjo Enterprises, Inc, comp. "A Short Biography of Frederick Douglass." Fremarjo Enterprises, Inc. Frederick Douglass Leadership Institute Programs on Race Relations and Gender Equity, 1997. Web May 20, 2014. “Douglas Biography.” IU School of Liberal Arts May 21, 2014. “Frederick Douglass People and Events.” from Rochester Regional Libraries 2000. Web May 21. 2014. .