Frederick Douglass Turning Point Analysis

Frederick Douglass was an African American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. Douglass wrote the novel “The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass” which depicted his life as a slave and enticed his ambition to become a free man. This novel helped form the big abolitionist movement. In the chapters of this novel, it explains important details like how he first learned to read and write, stays at different plantations, later in life events, leading up to his freedom. Douglass opens up the novel with a description of his family background. He doesn’t really know who his father is but it is said to be his first plantation owner. Which i think might be one of the earliest written knowings of mulatto children.
…show more content…

He's born a slave on Colonel Lloyd's plantation, but as a child he's mostly spared the worst kinds of suffering. Later in age he does witness the terrible acts of punishment brought upon other slaves. He sees his Aunt Hester get beaten for something that is not really her fault, but he's too young to be whipped himself. So his first turning point is sort of simplistic, but also important, the realization that he is a slave and all that that entails. As Douglass becomes a young man, he starts fighting to actually be free. There was a certain incident when he talks back to his master. Following this incident, his master sends him to work for the most well known notorious "slave breaker," Covey. Covey tries to destroy Douglass's spirit. For a while it works, and Douglass breaks and is demeened to the state of mind of an animal. Thus forcing him to the lowest mental point in his life. Another epiphany occurs when he decides that he'd rather die than be treated like a slave anymore. So the next time Covey tries to whip him, he stands up to him. After a couple of hours spent wrestling with Douglass, Covey leaves him alone. Douglass vows never to be whipped again. And he never