Download Narrative of Frederick Douglass: A Detailed Account of Slavery and Its Cruelties and more Exercises Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself On separate piece of paper, answer one question from each of the chapters thoroughly and completely: Chapter 1 Why do you think Douglass is so detailed in describing his home and its location? What kinds of cruelty did Douglass witness as a boy? What may be the motivation of the cruel beating of Aunt Hester? Chapter 2 What were the economic circumstances of Douglass's master, Colonel Lloyd? What conditions does he describe on the plantations? How were the slaves housed and clothed? Under what conditions did they work? What explanation does Douglass give for the singing of slaves? What features does he ascribe to the songs he heard? How do you interpret the refrain he reproduces? ("I am going away to the Great House Farm!/ O, yea! O, yea! O!") Chapter 3 How did Col. Lloyd treat his stable keepers? What incident does Douglass narrate to indicate why slaves often gave seemingly contented replies when asked about their treatment? What does Douglass think of the practice he describes of slaves fighting to defend the alleged virtues of their masters? To what psychological impulse does he attribute this? Chapter 4 What violent events does this chapter record? Why do you think nothing was done to prosecute the murder of slaves? How would you describe Douglass's style? How does he show emotion in recounting the horrible sights he has witnessed? Chapter 5 What were the circumstances of Douglass's life in childhood? What was his relationship to his siblings? What was his response to his removal to Baltimore? What sentiment did he hold about his future? Chapter 6 What effect on the character of his new mistress Mrs. Auld does Douglass ascribe to slavery? What information does Mr. Auld unintentionally provide him? How was Baltimore life different from that on the plantation? Chapter 7 How does Mrs. Auld try to inhibit Douglass from learning to read and write? How does he succeed in attaining his aim? What books does he read, and how do these influence his beliefs about slavery? How does he come to learn about the abolitionist movement? What first suggests to his mind the possibility of escape? Chapter 8 What happens to Douglass after the death of Captain Anthony? What treatment of his brother does he witness? What are some general features of Douglass's writing style? Which qualities help make it effective? Does the narrative create suspense? Chapter 9 Under what conditions did Douglass live when with Thomas Auld and his wife at St. Michael's? What behavior toward a lame woman slave does Douglass record? In Douglass's view, what was the disappointing effect of Mr. Auld's conversion? What was the fate of Mr. Wilson's Sabbath school for slaves? What effect may the behavior of professing Methodists have had on his later opinions? Chapter 10 How did Mr. Covey treat Douglass and his peers? What enabled Douglass to survive the incidents of the oxen and the beatings? What psychological effect did Covey's brutality have on Douglass? What thoughts or hopes encouraged him in his despair? How does he analyze the fact that Mr. Covey failed to prosecute him for resistance? What lesson does he seem to have gained from this experience?
