2. The hypocrisy of the slave owners: Douglass points out that many of the slave owners who claimed to be Christians were actually cruel and heartless people who treated their slaves like animals. He writes about one slave owner who would force his slaves to work in the fields until they dropped from exhaustion, and about another who would whip his slaves for any minor infraction.
3. The importance of education: Douglass credits his education with helping him to escape from slavery. He writes about how he learned to read and write, and how this knowledge gave him the power to fight for his freedom.
4. The power of hope: Douglass writes about how he never gave up hope, even when things seemed darkest. He writes about how he always believed that he would one day be free, and how this belief helped him to survive.