Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

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…struggle between the powers of inner strength and progress and the powers of physical and literal defeats and regressions that allowed Douglass this deeper sense of self. At the end of the novel he comes to terms with himself as having a dark past, but uses it in a way to enlighten himself spiritually and intellectually. Douglass felt that with a sense of faith the darkest horses could be overcome through enlightening of his spirit.