In third person limited the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character. All characters are described using pronouns, such as 'they', 'he', and 'she'. But, one character is closely followed throughout the story, and it is typically a main character.
I believe young Fredrick Douglass was a bit frightened and afraid to do anything but what he's told to do in his early years of life. He had seen his aunt be tortured and was scared to see that happen to himself so he stayed undercover for a long time.
