“They never knew when they were safe from punishment.” (p.g.32)
Doglass shifts to the slave’s point of view by describing their harsh and unknowing punishments. He emphasizes on the paranoid mind set that the slaves have grown to have as well as clarifying the slaves being convinced that the treatment they deserved was deserved. Douglass does this in order to show the audience the traumatizing affects slavery can do. This analysis exploits the true torture that slaves endured.
“It is partly in consequence of such facts, that slaves, when inquired of as to their condition and the character of their masters, almost universally say they are contented, and that their masters are kind…..for I always measured the kindness of my master by the standard of kindness set up among slave holders around us.” (p.g.34)
Douglass explain his situation by describing the unjust ways the slave holders would try to keep their slaves under their control, in addition to giving them a depressing survival mind set. Douglass emphasizes the idea by switching from 3rd person to 1st person to make it more personal, as well as show the slave’s desire to belong in their lives was only by suppressing the truth. Douglass does this in order to gain sympathy from the audience as well as a new found respect by being honest in his situation. Douglass successfully achieves the audience’s attention through he’s brief 1st person point of view, making the whole passage reliable.
“Mr. Jepson’s slaves would boast his ability to whip Colonel Lloyd. These quarrels would almost always