Douglass isn't very good at his new work, so it isn't long before Covey finds a reason to beat the living daylights out of him. One day, Douglass is driving a cart and loses control of the oxen. The cart overturns, destroying a wheel and injuring the animals. When Douglass tells Covey what occurred, Covey whips him 'til the sticks he's using break in his hands.
Over the next six months, Douglass is whipped at least once a week, so frequently that he doesn't have time to heal from his previous whipping before he gets beaten again. There isn't any point to the whipping except to break his will and spirit. It does not make Douglass a better worker. On the contrary, working in the fields is tough, physical labor, and the fact that he's always healing from injuries perhaps makes him a less effective worker.
What does the historical handwriting of Frederick Douglass tell us? Learn more at The Washington Post.