Who Is Mr. Douglass Dehumanized

Ladies and gentlemen, have you ever witnessed a slave being whipped? Have you seen the raw flesh of the back send a flood of blood down the body? Or have you seen the protruding bones through the almost translucent skin of the starved slaves? These people, or property as it is referred to, are treated beyond the bounds of what is humane; cattle may be treated better and as a result, Mr.Douglass was in a situation in which he was forced to defend himself or be killed. He has described his state under the supervision of Mr.Covey, “I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed...the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me” (Douglass 39). The point to remember, is the horrendous conditions slaves are subjected to is unfathomable for most and has become dehumanizing; it should only be expected for Douglass to act as he did against the violent attack.

This emphasizes Mr.Covey’s unreasonable expectations for slaves, he forgets they are human and have limits just as all us white folk do. Mr.Douglass could not have obeyed his orders and continued working even if he desperately wanted to-his body was not able. So how could have Mr.Covey justified his attack on Douglass the following days? Lastly, Douglass did what he did as an act of self defense to save his life. Douglass had already disobeyed his master and run away for a night; considering all the atrocities Mr.Covey has inflicted on his slaves, it was reasonable for Mr.Douglass to assume he’d be severely beaten to the point of possibly bleeding or being whipped to death. It is not unreasonable to fight if one’s life is