Essay on The Rise Of Frederick Douglass

He now knew what empowered them and what he needed to become empowered, and he states that "The argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn" (48). He prized this lesson and took advantage of it. Frederick Douglass now set a goal for himself to learn how to read at any cost.

Douglass lived in the slave times. It was illegal to a slave to read and write. Any slave caught reading or writing would be severely punished or even killed. Slave owners felt that if they learn they will soon rebel and start to fight back. Douglass even grew up not even knowing his own age. His master’s wife is what

Moreover, Edward Covey was also a slaveholder like Thomas Auld and he pretended that he was a Christian. Douglass talked about Covey that “Everything he possessed in the shape of learning or religion, he made conform to his disposition to deceive. He seemed to think himself equal to deceiving the Almighty. He would make a short prayer in the morning, and a long prayer at night…I do verily believe that he sometimes deceived himself into the solemn belief, that he was a sincere worshipper of the most high God…shocking as in the fact, he bought her, as he said, for a breeder” (Douglass, p. 82). Covey was a very cruel master and even bought a woman for a breeder as calling himself as a Christian. He was really

     It is at this time that Frederick Douglass learns one of the greatest freedoms of all. He is set free, in an educational sense. Douglass has been taught a few reading lessons form his mistress. Soon after his master discovers this, and commences the teaching at once. Soon thereafter, Frederick Douglass uses some smart tactics to resume his learning. He in a sense manipulates the children around him into teaching him how to read and write. This grand achievement taught Douglass something, as he says, “From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and

Literacy was Douglass's first step on the road to his freedom, and that of his fellow African slaves. In addition, Douglas knew less about the slavery unfairness, until after finding the book The Columbian Orator, which was explaining the cases against slavery. He was angered by what he learnt about this book, and what the masters have done to the slaves. The book made him think that slavery was his fate, and there was no escape from it.

Frederick Douglass effectively persuades his audience to show the crucial need for learning to read and write and to inform how slavery was a true

The one instance that Douglass brings up is the best slave owner that he had, other than himself, was William Freeland. Douglass states, “ I will give Mr. Freeland the credit of being the best master I ever had, till I became my own master.” This statement made by Douglass shows that not everyone who was a slaveholder was an evil and corrupt man and that Mr. Freeland was one of those people. Also in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, we see that Douglass was able to hold a sabbath school and was able to teach other slaves how to read and write which helped his self-esteem and eventually helped him be able to get free and live his own

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass describes his journey throughout slavery and elucidates the consequences for working “incorrectly”. Slaves would be whipped and scolded for not working fast enough or even working the wrong way. By treating the slaves the way slaveholders did, the slaves were more like animals than anything else. When Frederick arrived at Covey’s plantation, Frederick would not go a day without being ridiculed. Even if he was doing something right, Covey would find a way to punish Frederick. Anytime Frederick would do something wrong, Covey would punish him by whipping him until the sticks Covey was using broke in his hands. Doing this, Covey and any other slave owner are taking away the slave’s God given rights.

One of the most important examples of perseverance in Douglass’s Narrative is his constant thirst for knowledge. The great impact learning had upon Douglass is inarguable. When his master Anthony takes him to Baltimore, he is introduced to Mrs. Auld who begins teaching him letters and small words (Douglass 250). Once Mr. Auld finds out, he warns the woman of the dangers of this kindness and forbids her from continuing these lessons (Douglass 250). Douglass’s hearing of this stirs within him his most important revelation. He tells readers, “From that moment, I

16.        Did Covey break Douglass’ spirit?  How was Douglass reborn?  Why was it a turning point?

Covey. One day when Douglass has reached beyond the point of true exhaustion and collapses sick, Mr. Covey discovers him. After kicking Douglass several times, "Mr. Covey took up the Hickory slot with which Hughes had been striking off the half-bushel measure, and with it game me (Douglass) a heavy blow upon the head, making a large wound, and the blood ran freely; and with this again told me to get up."(47) This description appears just a few pages before the actual climax of the book, where Douglass stands up to Mr. Covey.

In 1833 Douglass was sent to a “slave breaker” who flagellated him constantly in an effort to physically and mentally break him down. Finally after 6 months of working with covey in all kinds of weather conditions every day except Sunday, Douglass was “broken in body, soul, and spirit.”(Douglass 2064-2128) Douglass lost the will to do anything intellectually he was numbed expressively “my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died…” (Douglass 2064-2128). After enduring this treatment he tried to get protection from his former master and absconded to him. After this covey was set on beating Douglass to death and in a stable he tried where Douglass fought back and told covey “that he had used me like a brute for six months, and that I was determined to be used so no longer.”(Douglass 2064-2128) Only until Douglass seized this opportunity was he no longer subject to covey’s yoke of oppression. No longer bound his mind was free to soar and he was able to pen his autobiography in addition he was also an abolitionist who helped end slavery. His path through slavery was harsh and it took great patience to withstand that condition and to rise up. His experience of slavery was no different than any other slave of the time

Covey underscores how slaveowners’ defense of slavery with religion was something said and not done. In fact, Douglass even asserts that slaves have a solid faith and the “help” of their white masters is not needed and even detrimental. As opposed to Mr. Covey’s false Christianity, Douglass attributes slaves to having true Christianity, evidencing this by his own great ability to sing versus his master’s poor singing. Mr. Covey was “a very poor singer himself, the duty of raising the hymn generally came upon [Douglass]” (82). Douglass’ ability to sing the hymnals represent his strong grasp on Christianity, whereas Mr. Covey’s poor singing portrays his hypocrisy and distance from the faith. Contrary to the plantation myth, Mr. Covey, the slaveowner is dependent on Douglass, his slave. This role reversal emphasizes the how the South’s claim to be carrying out a Christian duty was flawed.

When Mr. Covey saw this he immediately started beating Frederick, after doing his worst and seeing that it would not help to continue he stopped. When Frederick regained his strength he fled 7 miles to his master to seek refuge and ask protection, upon hearing his request his master told him not to trouble him with such stories, and sent him back the next morning. When Frederick finally returned to Mr. Covey he was deceived into thinking that Mr. Covey was not angry with him. But when Mr. Covey then attempted to beat him he seized Covey by the throat and fought him for two hours until Covey gave up. This shows a literal fight for the rights he deserved.

Fredrick Douglass is a hard working slave that was sent to a slave breaker. He was kept to work for a man named covey until his spirit was broken. Covey was one of the best slave breakers around. Covey tried his hardest to break the spirit of Fredrick Douglass. Covey would whip Fredrick as much as he could for anything he could.