The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.
In his autobiography, Douglass uses the analogy of a castaway's song to refute the idea that slave singing signifies contentment, asserting both stem from profound distress.
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I wished it was possible I could remain small all my life, knowing that the sooner I grew large the shorter would be my time to remain with them.
But we are not here to applaud manly courage, save as it has been displayed in a noble cause.
The anti-slavery platform had performed its work, and my voice was no longer needed.