Self Creation in Frederick Douglass
...alized slave owners did not want their slaves to be 2 literate. Douglass said, “Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident had gained from my master.” (Page 29) With this thought in mind, Douglass became determined to learn to read and write. He knew at once knowledge was the beginning to making an escape toward freedom. In his quest to learn to read Douglass made use of any possible resources he had. He would give the poor white children in his neighborhood bread in exchange for reading lessons. It was his determination which later drove him to escape toward freedom. As Douglass became more educated, his hatred toward slavery grew. When talking to the young white boys who helped him learn to read Douglass would sometimes say, “You will be free as soon as you are twenty-one, but I am a slave for life Have not I as a good a right to be free as you have?” (Page 32) As Douglass became older the thought of being a slave for life troubled him. It was around this time when Douglass read the “Columbian Orator,” which contained a speech on Catholic emancipation. In reading this Douglass formed new thoughts about the wrongs of slavery, which caused him to detest his masters. “The reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery; but while they relieved me of one difficulty, they brought on another even more painful than the one of which I was relieved. The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery. I loathed them for being the meanest as well as the wicked of men.” (Page 33) Given these ideas, Douglass began to plan his escape route to freedom while sailing from Baltimore. After returning home from Baltimore, Douglass had developed self confidence. This sense of confidence came from the knowledge he obtained in Baltimore about the wrongs of 3 slavery. Douglass’ confidence is displayed in his fight with Covey. The fight was the result of months of Covey physically abusing Douglass. Douglass finally stood up for himself as a man and refused to be pushed around any more. “This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning-point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free. The gratification afforded by the triumph was a full compensation for whatever else might follow, even death itself. He can only understand the deep satisfaction which I experienced, who has himself repelled by force the bloody arm of slavery. I felt as I never felt before. It was a glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery, to the heaven of freedom. My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact. I did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me.” (Page 50) As a result of Douglass’ fight with Covey, Douglass’ spirits were lifted. Douglass regained his personal spirit, interest in learning, and conviction to be free by physically fighting Covey. Douglass overcame his fear of Covey, which represented Douglass’ fear of the slavery as whole. In defeating Covey, Douglass’ defeat against the slavery system was symbolized. The next step in Douglass’ quest in self creation was his interest in wanting to teach slaves what he had learned. Douglass held a Sabbath school where he taught many slaves on Freeland’s property how to read and write. “I held my Sabbath school at the house of a free colored man....I had at one time over forty scholars, and those of the right sort, ardently desiring to learn... I look back at those Sundays with an amount of pleasure not to be expressed. They...