What does Douglass think of the practice he describes of slaves fighting to defend the alleged virtues of their masters? And to what psychological impulse does he attribute this?

Indeed, slaves often "imbibe prejudices quite common to others. They think their own masters better than that of others." Sometimes there were even fights between slaves of one master and slaves of another; when they encountered each other they would criticize the others' master and often entered into a physical altercation. These slaves "seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave, but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!"

In reference to the previous point of slaves speaking well of their masters and situations, Douglass included a maxim: "...a still tongue makes a wise head" (23). Douglass embraced the use of proverbs throughout the Narrative. Literary scholar Wolfgang Mieder writes of Douglass's use of biblical and proverbs in his speeches, autobiographies, letters, and journalism. Proverbs were important because they contained the insights and experiences of people without an underlying philosophical system. They "reflected the dichotomies and contradictions of life" and "may serve good as well as evil designs."

Indeed, slaves often "imbibe prejudices quite common to others. They think their own masters better than that of others." Sometimes there were even fights between slaves of one master and slaves of another; when they encountered each other they would criticize the others' master and often entered into a physical altercation. These slaves "seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered as being bad enough to be a slave, but to be a poor man's slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!"

In reference to the previous point of slaves speaking well of their masters and situations, Douglass included a maxim: "...a still tongue makes a wise head" (23). Douglass embraced the use of proverbs throughout the Narrative. Literary scholar Wolfgang Mieder writes of Douglass's use of biblical and proverbs in his speeches, autobiographies, letters, and journalism. Proverbs were important because they contained the insights and experiences of people without an underlying philosophical system. They "reflected the dichotomies and contradictions of life" and "may serve good as well as evil designs."