“I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact.” -Frederick Douglass
Based on this excerpt, Douglass is trying to describe the notion that although he appears to be a slave in form, he doesn’t let that perception of him define who he is. This realization of identity is crucial and leads to his discovering of his own potential as a person rather than a slave in form.
It’s interesting that he makes this claim because it further proves to the reader that by being labeled as a slave, he is being stripped of his freedom and identity. But after assuring the reader that he is a slave in fact, opposed to a slave in form, he proves that he is much more than a slave and will do everything in his power to prove everyone wrong.
robin rillon 