Douglass quote that "from that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom" shows he is courageous because it demonstrates his determination to acquiring the skills of literacy. This quest places him in direct opposition to Mr. Auld's demands, yet Douglass courageously finds ways to learn to read and write without the Auld's knowledge.

Manhood has to include a state of mind that allows one to acknowledge their past while moving into the future and seizing opportunities.

I was struck by the way Douglass is able to look back on his life with a positive attitude. The facts of his life were so terrible, yet he doesn’t rail on with hatred and revenge. He looks at his life objectively and sees that it has been good in many ways. It is also amazing that such suffering didn’t make him bitter, but instead led him to live a life that was so beneficial to others.

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass establishes his identity through his rejection of slavery's dehumanization, pursuit of literacy, and resistance against oppression. His narrative highlights experiences like learning to read and fighting Mr. Covey, which symbolize his journey from slave to self-aware individual. Douglass connects with white readers by appealing to shared Christian values, leveraging testimonials from white abolitionists, and invoking a universal sense of humanity through vivid depictions of slavery's injustices.