Fredrick Douglass began explaining his experience under Mr. Covey. Mr. Covey showed him the hypocrisy of Christian slaveholders. This was Douglass’ first time working in a field so he makes many mistakes and is generally struggling. Mr. Covey provides many lashes in response, as he does to many of his slaves. This is what gave him his reputation as, “the slavebreaker.” He also began to preform slave-breeding, despite considering himself a Christian. He would work his slaves from sunrise to sunset and work them to exhaustion. When the slaves did not meet his high expectations, he would deal out many lashings and beatings. Despite all this he was still able to convince himself that he was a Christian and was doing it under God. Douglass would spend his Sundays, his off-days, contemplating suicide or murdering his master. He also began to question God and even his existence.
The turning point in Fredrick Douglass’ life was when he decided to fight back, when Mr. Covey went to beat him. Fredrick Douglass won the fight, giving himself a new sense of being. He felt more confident, felt his manhood, and felt a little freer. After this point Mr. Covey did not touch him again. After his lease was over with Mr. Covey, he was hired to Mr. Freeland, who Douglass said was, “the best master I ever had, till I became my own master. While working under him, Douglass started a Sabbath school, which he enjoyed greatly. He was hired by Mr. Freeland for a second year, after a very smooth first year. But this second year he began planning an escape because he wants to be free like Mr. Freeland.
Despite being treated well this time around, this was still not enough for Douglass. He wanted to be a human being, and much more so when he is being treated a little more like one. When he was being beaten by Covey he was contemplating suicide and murder, neither of which will result in freedom. But as soon as he fought back he felt like a man again, that all changed. He was set straight again, and found hope again. Even when he was under Mr. Freeman and being treated well, he realized that this is still not right. This was more of a stepping stone toward freedom; it was more of a taste of freedom. Although he was still Christian and even enjoyed teaching the Sabbath school, he found hope in all this through him self, and specifically his manhood. When he was being beat, he was not allowed any self-esteem. When he fought back he gained some, then when he was treated fairly he gained some more, and he got to teach the Sabbath school making him feel even more importance. He found hope in himself, rather than the slaveholders’ Christianity, and through this gained confidence which allowed him to work towards freedom.
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