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I think d is the answer of the first step and a is the second step answer
It would be the third one because you would definitely have to find out why it was written and who the audience was.
About being obdurate Douglass tells he was obdurate "enough to be insensible to the voice of a reproving conscience".
About being cruel Douglass mention "he committed the grossest and most savage deeds upon the slaves under his charge." being severe on his punishments.
About being artful Douglass says "He was one of those who could torture the slightest look, word, or gesture, on the part of the slave, into impudence, and would treat it accordingly" he was also very aware of it in other ways and he would not care about killing the slaves even as they were a property and in order to do not be condemned he would say "To be accused was to be convicted, and to be convicted was to be punished" so "It is better that a dozen slaves should suffer under the lash, than that the overseer should be convicted, in the presence of the slaves, of having been at fault.".
