I would describe Douglass’s tone to be bitterness when he wrote the autobiography. In most parts of his narrative, he talked about violent events such as killing and whipping slaves. Although he did shift tones when he experience cheerful events, his bitterness of being a slave and sadness of existence of slavery did not change throughout his whole narrative. Douglass claims that the battle between him and Mr. Covey “was the turning-point in {his} career as a slave,” and the battle also “rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood” (268). Douglass was proud of himself when he wrote the battle. It was his first time standing up for himself.

Moreover, Douglass’s tone has shifted several times when he poured out his “soul’s complaint” (265). He used satirical and helpless tone when he compared human beings’ difference, “you are loosed from your moorings, and are free; and I am fast in my chains, and am a slave…” (265). Then he started to be hopeful to ask God to save him but also angry about why God has let all the events happen. Next, he started to self-reflect and reassure that he will run away and be free one day. His tone was really optimistic in this case, “It may be that misery in slavery will only increase my happiness when I get free. There is a better day coming” (265). Overall, I would conclude that Douglass’s tone to be bitterness even when he wrote the narrative many years after he had freed from slavery. He would never forget that all the painful things would not happen without slavery.

On the other hand, when I mention about violent events in Douglass’s narrative, I think violence does not only apply to action but also to language. Language has a lot more power than action, for it hurts people both emotionally and psychologically. After Douglass and his friends were caught from escaping, they were put into jail. Mr. Freeland’s mother came to criticize Douglass for implicating Henry and John, “you devil! You yellow devil! It was you that put it into the heads of Henry and John to run away…” (276). Although Douglass did not mention about how he felt about Freeland mother’s words, he must felt painful in failing to bring his friends out from slavery.