Journal #16

Michelle Romero
English 48A
Dr. Scott Lankford

Author: Frederick Douglass

"This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning-point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free" (2104).

Douglass describes his state of mind after his argument with Mr. Covey that changed his thinking.

This passage reveals the inside nature of freedom. I think actually that Douglass is depicting freedom as a personal trait, not a physical one. It is not about being legally free or not free. It is about being free as a person. It is about holding on to who you are and being sure of yourself.

This passage is so powerful because of this revelation. Douglass understands something about freedom that I think would have helped countless other slaves facing similar situations. He emphasizes the need to hold on to hope, to keep your spirit. I love how he shows the embers of freedom as inside of him, and as reviving in him a sense of his manhood.

This passage is powerful because it shows (through the imagery) the small burning embers rising to overtake Douglass and restore his freedom. It is a subtle image of picking yourself up from the lowest place you have been and growing stronger. It is an empowering message that is full of hope and strength.

At the same time, Douglass' statement acknowledges how a man's self-confidence can be taken away. He in no way suggests that freedom is easy, but rather that it is an internal struggle that even he deals with and that has been very difficult for him to struggle with at times, but I think he would emphasize that it is about having the courage to overcome that is important.