A line from Fredrick Douglass’ autobiography that was particularly interesting to me was Mr.Covey’s response to the fight they had: “Covey at length let me go, puffing and blowing at a great rate, saying that if I had not resisted, he would not have whipped me half so much. The truth was, that he had not whipped me at all.”(Douglass 268) Mr.Covey’s fear of losing his reputation is truly shown here. He could have easily called the authorities and gotten Douglass into more trouble. But instead he chose to ignore what had happened, not wanting to admit that he lost in a fight against a slave. He was a man known for his ability to break a slave, in the sense of making them feel hopeless and forever destined to serve. Having this incident be known would have tarnished that reputation and the fear of that humiliation was what kept him silent. This moment is also very significant for Douglass as he expresses that the fight with Mr.Covey was a great turning point in his life. Douglass’ stylistic choice to tell the reader when these pivotal points are taking place allows for a deeper understanding of what these outstanding moments truly meant to him. The pent up desire he had to fight back and defend himself throughout all those years of slavery was finally fulfilled at this moment. While describing the fight, Douglass said that he was reassured by the fearful responses he got from Mr.Covey. Ultimately, this fight allowed for Douglass to feel a true sense of masculinity as part of who he was. In fact, following this event, he no longer even considered himself a true slave, and firmly stated that he would rather die than let anyone else whip him. These sentiments of self respect, dignity, bravery, and strength were at this point integrated into Douglass’ identity.
Yes, it’s clear that this is an important turning point in Douglass’s narrative and signals a vital change in how he understands himself and his situation.