Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

When Douglass states that, "Mr.Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eyedied; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!" how does this passage portray the mental and emotional state of a slave who has been dehumanized? What images does the passage bring to mind?

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This passage illustrates Douglass' emotional state perfectly, he was, for all intents and purposes, a dead man. He had nothing to live for, he'd closed off all emotions in order to survive..... and that was all he was at that moment..... a survivor.

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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass