My free life began on the third of September, 1838. On the morning of the fourth of that month, after an anxious and most perilous but safe journey, I found myself in the big city of New York, a free man—one more added to the mighty throng which, like the confused waves of the troubled sea, surged to and fro between the lofty walls of Broadway. Though dazzled with the wonders which met me on every hand, my thoughts could not be much withdrawn from my strange situation. For the moment, the dreams of my youth and the hopes of my manhood were completely fulfilled. The bonds that had held me to "old master" were broken. No man now had a right to call me his slave or assert mastery over me.
–from My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
Which answer choice best states the author's likely purpose for writing this selection?
a. to persuade the reader to help runaway slaves
b. to entertain the reader with an interesting tale
c. to tell about his life experiences
d. to describe what life is like in New York
