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Chris Jones
History 1700
Lori Motzkus Wilkinson
March 22, 2015
Brutality in Slavery
Slavery in the United States was both a terrible tragedy and an
incredible abomination. The knowledge of previous slavery within our
country may be common knowledge, but there is a diminishing few with
proper knowledge of the actual brutality involved in slavery. More than just a
positive punishment motivator, physical brutality is used both publically and
privately to secure slaveholders grasp over the slaves they owned. This
brutality dehumanized slaves and repressed their will for freedom. The
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, demonstrates
how brutality (both public and non-public) was important for the oppression
of slaves. Because brutality was the manner by which he was enslaved, it
was necessary for Douglass to use some manner of physical brutality in
order to gain his freedom.
Douglasss first encounter with brutality in slavery came with the
viewing of the whipping of his Aunt Hester. Douglass said it was the bloodstained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery (51). After the event had
transpired, he was certain that he would be the next person to receive such a
display of physical brutality. This event shows the effect of one display of
extreme brutality, and the effects on Douglass are seen immediately
afterword. He is fearful, and is already finding ways to attempt to avoid this
violence being afflicted upon himself (such as hiding in the closet until well

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after his master leaves the vicinity). This was unfortunately the first of many
scenes of horrific brutality that Douglass witnessed. During many of these
occasions, a slave had done nothing or little wrong, however their master
still had them whipped in order to make an example of them, and to keep the
other slaves in line.
Colonel Lloyd was one of Douglasss masters who frequently used this
technique, specifically employing fear with his garden and his horses. Lloyd
put tar on the garden fence, and any slave caught with tar on their hands or
clothing was immediately whipped. This lead to slaves being fearful of even
touching tar. Slaves attending to the horses would be whipped if the horses
appeared even a little tired or otherwise uncared for. These ill-deserved acts
of brutality help convey they idea that a slave is never safe from the being
whipped and is always subject to the desires of their master. In the event
that the slaves master wasnt present, the overseers were almost always
present to make sure the slaves continued to work and obey.
Overseers were often the face of punishment, and the enforcers of
owners rules. Overseers were often cruel by nature, and naturally suited for
the job of maintaining discipline among the slaves. One particularly cruel
overseer, according to Douglass, was named Mr. Austin Gore. Gore was
known to whip and punish slaves both severely and often. When being
punished slaves had to accept their punishment without explanation or
refutation. In order to retain power over the slaves it is better that a dozen
slaves suffer under the lash, than that of the overseer should be convicted,

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in the presence of the slaves of having been at fault (65). The power the
owner has over the slaves is strengthened by the necessity for slaves to
endure punishment and brutality without complaint or refutation.
This severe brutality is capable of breaking even the most optimistic
and determined of men. During his first six months working for Mr. Covey,
Douglass is punished and disciplined in the severest of ways. After being
subjected to such brutality, Douglass himself admits that he had been
broken (105). In order to regain his humanity, Douglass had to fight back,
and in the case with slavery, brutality as retaliation is not only effective, but
necessary.
After briefly leaving the farm, Covey attempted to tie Douglass up in
order to punish him. Instead Douglass physically fought and resisted Covey,
and Douglass stole his power back from him through physical brutality and
violence (112). Because brutality was the means by which Douglass had his
humanity and power stolen, it was the only way for him to take it back.
Douglass had previously attempted to verbally shift the balance of power
between himself and Covey, but it always resulted in him being physically
punished. While other slaves may have regained their power by choosing to
be shot instead of obeying their masters, they did not effectively regain their
humanity. Being put down like an animal is not a characteristic of humanity.
Douglass regained his humanity when he matched Coveys brutality with his
own. This power Douglass gains is shown when he returns to Mr. Hugh. While
he is on the working on a ship, white men attack him and he retaliates

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against them (132). His retaliation not only potentially saved his life, but also
made it possible for him to work elsewhere besides the ship. The fight on the
ship convinced Mr. Hugh that Douglass needed to work elsewhere and that
opportunity might have never occurred if Douglass never matched the other
workers brutality with his own.
There are many situations where brutality is not only ineffective, but
actually harmful toward resolving a problem or unsatisfactory circumstance.
When discussing slavery however, brutality is the only way for a slave to
regain his power and humanity from his master. This is because when a man
buys another man, he sells his own humanity, thus reducing his mind to a
brute-like state. A man or a slave cannot reason with a slave owner the same
way they would another man. Slavers does not show logic or compassion or
exercise empathy. This leaves a slave only one option to regain what his
master has taken from him. Bullies are a similar situation in todays world.
Whether in the workplace, school, or even within families, in order to get a
bully to stop, oftentimes they need to be confronted verbally, or even rare
cases physically(when bullies attempt to do serious harm to their victims).
Perhaps not on the same level of confrontation as in slavery, but bullying is
also not on the same immoral level as slavery. Both, however, require a
degree of confrontation in order to for the victim to break their oppression.