The slaves were not to ever realize that their life was bad or could be improved upon. .
Douglass asserts that the argument that the black man are content with slavery because they sing and play music is incorrect. Douglass informs the reader, "I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a great mistake. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy" (30). Douglass explains that his first glimpse of the dehumanizing character of slavery was when he was a small boy around seven years old. The slaves sang songs of happiness and greatness: "I am going away to Great House Farm! O yea! O yea! O!" (29). These songs were supposed to be a positive reflection of the life on the plantation they worked for. But slaves often sang songs because they needed an emotional release. It was their special release, a fact that no one outside the slaves" world understood. Slaves may of sang because they were not allowed to talk badly about their owners. If they were caught talking badly they would be beaten or whipped severely. Slaves each appeared to believe that they lived on the best plantation and would never openly portray any dissension, even if they were whipped to a bloody mess on a regular basis.
Douglass also points to another unfair argument that no master with sense would expose his valuable human property to damage. Besides the usual whippings and beatings, slaveholders would psychologically attack the slaves. Douglass explains that a good master was one who fed the slaves enough each day. Many slaves were fed minimum amounts of food and almost always felt the pains of hunger. Most slaves slept on the ground without a decent blanket for warmth. Most of the time children didn't have clothing to wear, and ran around almost naked in summer and winter.
