The Struggle for Reclaiming Manhood

    Frederick Douglass' narrative illustrates his transition from a young slave to a free man. Being born into slavery, Douglass was always seen as subhuman compared to his white counterparts and constantly suffered due to the cruelty of dehumanization. Like any other slave, Douglass was not seen as a full human being and was instead treated as livestock and "were ranked with horses, sheep and swine," (Douglass, 67). When being assigned to their new masters, the slaves were seen as no more than objects to own, and "were all subjected to the same indelicate inspection," as any other property (Douglass, 67). After experiencing kind treatment from his previous master and mistress, Douglass explained his anxieties when being placed under the authority of Mr. Covey, who carried a "very high reputation for breaking young slaves," (Douglass, 70). Douglass' treatment on Mr. Covey's farm was a true test of his manhood, and he began his true transition from slave to man. During his time with Mr. Covey, Douglass described himself as "a man transformed into a brute" as he wrangled with his new reality (Douglass, 71). In comparison to his determination to be free that was present in his younger years, he instead began to feel hopeless about his position in society and became complicit in his treatment, stating that Mr. Covey had succeeded in breaking him "in body, soul, and spirit," (Douglass, 71). During this time, Douglass had become separated from his manhood, and "man was made a slave," (Douglass, 72). However, although Douglass' dignity and humanity had been stripped from him, these words mark a turning point for him to regain his humanity and become a man. 

    For Douglass, being a man was something that had to be discovered through years of constant abuse and mistreatment. Due to the circumstances of his birth, he had to discover that what defined his manhood was something that set him apart from other slaves, which was his mind. Even from a young age, Douglass determined that since he had already been given an inch, nothing could prevent him from taking the ell (Douglass, 65). This sense of resolve encouraged him to challenge Mr. Covey, which he described as "a glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery to the heaven of freedom," and for the four years afterwards that he remained a slave, he was never whipped (Douglass, 73). Douglass' experience with Mr. Covey taught him that to be a man was to reclaim his dignity and humanity, and to maintain control over his own understanding of the world.