1. Fatal Poison
That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon" (pg. 63). ... Douglass acknowledged God's sovereignty in slavery and held tightly to the fact that although his physical body may have been beaten, "slavery would not always be able to hold him within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer...
"At times, he spoke to his slaves with the firmness of Napoleon and the fury of a demon; at other times, he might well be mistaken for an inquirer who had lost his way" (59). ... Douglass, in describing Auld, uses words such as "demon" and "deceive" to suggest that Auld is devil-like. ... Christians believe that Satan is subordinate to God, a fallen angel, and Douglass shows that, in the same way, Auld is regarded as a false master, even though he strives for that power. ...
Regarding the issue of whiteness, both Douglass and Jacobs agree upon the fact that slavery is a power that corrupts even the most angelic white person and that it is a curse for both blacks and whites. ... That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon"( Italics mine, Douglass 324), and "Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. ...