The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Essay Example

In his slave narrative, how does Frederick Douglas physically, culturally and spiritually overcome Mr. Covey

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass largely concerns Douglass’ early life and slavery before buying his freedom.  Throughout his slavery, Douglass is resistant to his condition and views knowledge as his path out of slavery.  However, his time with Mr. Covey comes to represent a different type of resistance to the inhumanity of slavery.  No longer just relying on avoidance and knowledge, Douglass confronts Mr. Covey physically, culturally, and spiritually.

Initially, Douglass resists Covey’s punishments by avoidance.  When beaten, he runs and hides in the cornfield or in the woods.  Finally, after he reaches the point of contemplating suicide, Douglass responds to the punishment physically.  When Covey approaches Douglass with a whip to punish him for running away, Douglass rises from the ground and seizes Covey by the neck.  The two proceed to fight for two hours one-on-one.  Neither man wins but instead the fight comes to a draw.  Covey tells everyone that he beat Douglass, but it is not true.  Douglass is the victor because Covey is afraid to ever confront him physically again.

Culturally, Douglass is the victor in the fight because of his bond with the fellow slaves on Covey’s farm.  When Douglass attacks Covey, Covey calls upon Hughes, another slave, to hold Douglass down.  While Hughes initially complies, it is not with any gusto as Douglass kicks him away.  Covey then order Bill, another slave, to help him restrain Douglass, but Bill refuses.  Because of their shared experience of slavery, the slaves defend and protect each other.  They do not join the master to fight other slaves.  This victory is significant culturally because the slaves all know who won the fight because there were slaves present.  The information spreads through the small community.  As Brewton notes, “Of the African tribes from which African American slaves were bought or kidnapped, some like the Dahomey were warrior cultures with conceptions of honor as ancient and highly evolved as any to be found in Ulster or Prussia” (711). So, though Covey postures and pretends to be superior, the slaves know that Douglass has won.  Covey loses authority and face on his farm.

Spiritually, the fight with Covey is more complex.  Douglass professes to be a Christian.  However, before the fight with Covey, he looks out at Chesapeake Bay and wonders if there is really a God at all.  In this time of doubt, he begins to rely on superstition.  When he runs away before the fight, he encounters another slave, Sandy Jenkins, who gives him a magical root that Sandy states will protect Douglass from Covey.  Douglass returns to the farm with the root and believes that it works because Covey is kind to him on his way to church.  However, as soon as Covey returns from church, the root fails to protect Douglass.  But, the fight occurs on Sunday morning, which highlights what Douglass realizes is the hypocrisy of Covey’s Christianity and reaffirms his faith against his earlier doubt.  As Peyser notes, “It could be Douglass means to suggest that the Christian God has much in common with a slaveholder. Both demand obedience.  Both punish failure to obey” (88).  Ultimately, Douglass concludes that abolitionist Christians are correct and the ones like Mr. Covey that embrace slavery are wrong.

The fight with Covey is the obvious turning point of Douglass’ narrative.  It is an event that has a lasting impact on Douglass, and it gives him the strength to continue.  The fight is more than just a confrontation between two men; it is a symbol of the plight of slaves and the degradation of all sides of the slave system.  The fight is a test of Douglass’ faith, his culture, and his physical strength.