Study Guide for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Type your answers and upload them by MIDNIGHT of November 16th in turnitin.com.
Chapter 1
1. Notice the first sentence. What is the significance of it? Explain Douglass’s parentage and background.
2. The separation of mother from child occurs to “hinder the development of the child’s affection toward the mother and blunt and destroy the natural affection of mother for child...”. Is this true for Douglass?
3. Quote the law about children of slave women. What is the result of the law? How does it contradict the argument that God cursed Ham, therefore, slavery is justified? (Ham was Noah’s middle son who saw his father naked in his tent. For this act of disrespect, Noah cursed him, saying that his descendants would be slaves).
4. What effect did the witnessing of a slave whipping have on Frederick Douglass the first time? Why was the whipping of Aunt Hester particularly appalling?
Chapter 2—Two Years on the Plantation
5. Comment on the monthly food and clothing allowance for adults and children. Does this seem adequate? What were the sleeping conditions?
6. What circumstances made sleep possible even under these conditions?
7. Describe the overseer, Mr. Severe. Why were his whippings especially sadistic?
8. What made Mr. Hopkins a good overseer?
9. Why was it considered an honor to be selected to go on errands to the Great House Farm? Explain the comment that “the same character might be seen in Colonel Lloyd’s slaves, as are seen in the slaves of political parties.”
10. Why couldn’t Douglass understand the “deep meaning” of slave songs while he was a slave? What is the common misconception about singing? Think of an analogous situation today?
Chapter 3
11. What was the penalty of eating the fruit? Describe the Biblical symbolism.
12. What happened to old Barney and young Barney if Colonel Lloyd’s horses didn’t look right? What is so unfair about this?
13. Explain the meaning of the maxim “a still tongue makes a wise head.”
14. Comment on the irony of “It was considered bad enough to be a slave; but to be a poor man’s slave was deemed a disgrace indeed!”
Chapter 4
15. Describe Mr. Gore’s character.
16. Why wasn’t he punished for the murder of Demby? Why didn’t Demby come out of the water to save himself? Frederick Douglass describes two other killings, the young nurse and the old man who trespassed. What is the effect of all three?
Chapter 5—The Move to Baltimore
17. What was Frederick Douglass’s chief deprivation? Note the vivid description of his feet.
18. Describe how the children ate. Comment on it.
19. What excited Frederick Douglass about going to Baltimore?
20. What were his feelings when he first saw Sophia Auld?
21. In retrospect, what does Frederick Douglass think was the significance of moving to his life?
Chapter 6—Changes in Sophia
22. Why does Sophia change? Explain the psychological forces that cause this.
23. What does Frederick Douglass mean when he writes that he understands “the pathway from slavery to freedom”?
24. How were slaves treated differently in Baltimore than in the country?
25. Why does Frederick Douglass include the description of Thomas Hamilton?
Chapter 7—Learning to Read and Write
26. How does he learn to read and what is the result of this knowledge?
27. What keeps him from killing himself?
28. What advice does the Irishman on the wharf give Frederick Douglass? Why doesn’t he take it?
29. Describe how Frederick Douglass learns to write. Imagine the type of person who would do this.
Chapter 8—Return to Maryland and back to Baltimore
30. What is Frederick Douglass’s state of mind as he returns to his birthplace?
31. Describe the auction and evaluation and division. Why does Frederick Douglass suffer more anxiety than the others?
32. Why does the treatment of Frederick Douglass’s grandmother so affect him? Notice that Frederick Douglass writes in present tense. Why?
33. What resolution does Frederick Douglass make at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 9—How a Slave Was Made a Man
34. What type of master is Thomas Auld? Give specifics.
35. What line of scripture does Auld quote to justify his whipping?
36. Why does his master find Frederick Douglass unsuitable? What is the result?
Chapter 10—Mr. Covey
37. Describe Mr. Covey’s methods of slave breaking, buying a breeder, and pious behavior.
38. How does the change in Covey’s treatment of Frederick Douglass change? Sandy gives Frederick Douglass a root, which he says will “render it impossible for Mr. Covey or any white man to whip him if he carries it on his right side.” What happens? Could the root be responsible?
39. What is Frederick Douglass’s explanation for the change in Mr. Covey?
40. Explain the customs of the holidays and drinking. What is the slaveholder’s purpose?
41. What does Frederick Douglass resolve to do in 1835? What is the plan?
42. Why don’t they succeed? What is jail like?
43. How does employment change Frederick Douglass’s circumstances?
Chapter 11—Freedom
44. Why does Frederick Douglass not tell all about his escape?
45. Describe his feelings when arriving in New York.
46. Explain how Frederick Douglass comes to have the name Douglass.
Appendix
47. Why did Frederick Douglass add this? Is it necessary?
48. Comment on “A Parody”.