Frederick Douglass: The Dehumanizing Effects Of Slavery

Words: 265
Pages: 2

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in the nineteenth century. He secretly taught himself to read and write because Douglass believed that knowledge was the key to freedom for slaves. Though Douglass empowered himself with knowledge, learned to read, and learned to write, his identity and soul were damaged by the horrors of slavery under Mr. Covey’s harsh control. Douglass illustrates how the horrors of slavery and oppression of the slaves by their master dehumanizing slaves and destroys their identity though hopeless diction to call northern abolitionists to action.
Douglass utilizes hopeless diction to expose the dehumanizing effects of slavery. Douglass states that Mr. Covey’s “discipline tamed me” while describing his time with Mr.