One of most widely discussed stories from Douglass's narrative that deals with his violent struggle against slavery is his battle with Mr. Covey in Chapter 10. Douglass was hired out to Mr. Covey on a one-year contract. Mr. Covey treated all the slaves on his plantation with exceptional brutality, and Douglass could hardly do his work in the harsh weather and poor working conditions. Mr. Covey did not give the slaves enough time to eat or rest, so they were regularly weary. On one occasion, Mr. Covey beat Douglass horribly, and Douglass describes the extremely bloody state of his body. So Douglass returned to his master for help. Master Thomas, however, sent him back to Mr. Covey. Upon return, Douglass got into a fight with Mr. Covey and won the battle. Mr. Covey would never admit that he lost the fight, but he did not harm Douglass again. Douglass regards the fight as a turning point in his career as a slave. From this point on, he says that he was a slave in body but not in mind. Through this violent struggle, Douglass was able to regain hope for the future.
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