As I read Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, I found the descriptions of social hierarchies in enslaved communities to be incredibly interesting. Douglass writes that “few privileges were esteemed higher, by the slaves of the out-farms, than that of being selected to do errands at the Great House Farm. It was associated in their minds with greatness” (Douglass, 1176). The enslaved were truly of a completely different world than their free, white counterparts. Within this world, the social structures were based on the master who enslaved them, and the job that they performed on the plantation. I had assumed that enslaved people viewed each other as equals because they were all under forced suppression and abuse, and consequently, there is no better form of slavery or abuse in comparison to another. Douglass’s Narrative proves this thought untrue as Douglass states that when appointed to the Great House “a representative could not be prouder of his election to a seat in the American Congress” (Douglass, 1176). The comparison of an enslaved person’s position in the Great House Farm to a representative in the American Congress reveals the gap between the white and enslaved communities in America while simultaneously emphasizing the connection between human beings. Douglass humanizes the enslaved community by describing their excitement over a “promotion” in life. The humanization over a mundane accomplishment such as a promotion bridges the gap between black and white people as this is something that both races celebrate and feel excitement over. It is only when the reader considers the truth of the situation, that the enslaved person is excited over a “better” form of slavery, that this comparison emphasizes the harsh reality of an enslaved person’s life. Not long after this comparison, Douglass continues to write about the hierarchies of slavery when he states that “It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man’s slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!” (Douglass, 1180). Not only did an enslaved person’s job on a plantation indicate the enslaved person’s role in a slave community but the wealth of their master did as well. This further emphasizes the separate world that enslaved people were forced to live in, and consequently, displays that enslaved people developed their own social norms and customs for black communities in the U.S.