Today in class, we discussed the confrontation between Frederick Douglass and his master, Mr. Covey. Covey is described as a poor slave owner with a reputation to "break" free-spirited slaves. It was guaranteed he could tame them. After Douglass was whipped countless times and was pushed past his limit, he fought back. "Mr. Covey seemed now to think he had me, and could do what he pleased; but at this moment-- from whence came the spirit I don't know -- I resolved to fight" (42, Douglass).After fighting back, and winning, Douglass remained a slave for four more years, but was never whipped again. This was considered a major triumph, not just for Douglass, but for any slave. The fact that Covey stopped enforcing such cruel behavior on a slave that fought back was shocking for the time period.
After Douglass was free, he did not recruit men to physically attack those practicing slavery, but instead wrote the book called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass about his life as an enslaved man. We are actually currently reading it in class. This is very different than the soldiers that volunteered to fight in the Civil War in the film Glory that we watched in class. In this movie, men idolized acts of violence, considering it a valiant effort to support what was right.
American society idolized individuals and supports those who actively fight for what they believe in. Douglass chose to speak his mind and write a book on slavery to emotionally and mentally appeal to people opposed to physical violence--an act that worked well in his past with Mr. Covey.
Why do you think he chose literature to appeal to listeners opposed to violence? Do you think this choice was more affective?
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