Final answer:
The main idea of Frederick Douglass's narrative aligns with option C, depicting the unjust conditions of slaves as opposed to their masters. It addresses the overall cruelty of slavery, the moral complexity, and the significance of literacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main idea of the passage from Frederick Douglass's narrative is most accurately captured by option (C): Douglass is describing the unjust conditions in which slaves lived, compared to their masters. The narrative does not describe the joys of living on a grand plantation, thus option (A) is incorrect. Although the passage addresses the treatment by slave owners and the slaves' treatment and complaints to an extent, it goes deeper to describe the overall cruel and inhumane conditions of slavery. Thus, option (B) and option (D) do not encapsulate the main idea as fully as option (C).
Douglass's narrative not only recounts his experiences as a slave and the brutality of the institution of slavery, but also delves into the moral implications and the hypocrisy within it, particularly detailing the complex social dynamics between slaves and their owners, and even the effects of slavery on the owners themselves. For example, the anguish of children born from white masters being mistreated and often sold is highlighted as both a personal tragedy and a moral abomination, indicative of the widespread atrocities perpetuated by the system.
The narrative also emphasizes literacy, as Douglass describes how slaveholders like Mr. Auld feared the empowering effect of teaching slaves to read and write. Further, it underscores the importance of Douglass choosing to write his own story, validating its authenticity and his intelligence, which arose despite the oppressive conditions of his enslavement.