Society is formed in a hierarchical format demonstrated by the relationship between slaves and slave owners. Douglass refers to this concept of racial formation in the following statement: “my bodily and spiritual faculties and powers do not belong to me. But property of a fellow mortal” (199). This statement refers to the master having the power to coerce his slaves into any form he wishes, to the point of controlling the slave's every move. Douglass uses his knowledge of language to expose the psychology of slave masters and the complex mechanisms created to systematically enslave African Americans. Douglas calls this idea “slave for life,” which underlies the problem of the hierarchical organization of society (157). Consider, for example, the case where Douglass's master, Thomas, chose not to protect him, as a man or as property, from Covey's brutal treatment (171). This relationship demonstrates how masters voluntarily objectify their slaves as replaceable commodities. Many slave owners took advantage of the power they had over their property without worrying about the repercussions. Instead, African Americans were demeaned and forced to be oppressed to such an extent that they agreed to be a puppet in a master's program.