Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Preface

William Lloyd Garrison’s PrefaceAt this time, many black writers had to appear with a white spokesman to vouch for

them.

Garrison was a friend of Douglass and a respected abolitionist.

Consider Garrison’s tone here.

● He is clearly proud of Douglass.

● Is he paternalistic?

● Is this demeaning?

● What do you make of the fact that this preface was deemed necessary?

Letter

Wendell Phillips’ LetterWhat does Phillips say to support Douglass’ work?

Does his tone remind you of Garrison’s? Why or why not?

Is his writing here for the same purpose?

Douglass’ Goals“It did not entirely satisfy me to narrate wrongs - I felt like denouncing them.”

As a speaker, Douglass was discouraged from analyzing present conditions.

● Nevertheless, he wanted to do more than tell his story.

● This narrative allowed him to do that.

Douglass had to write carefully to persuade without offending his white readership.

● He knew that he needed their support.

Chapter One

A Starting PlaceMost autobiographies begin with a birth date and a description of parentage.

● Why is that not the case here?

● What does Douglass share with his readers?

Is family history important in shaping a person’s identity?

● What do you know about your family history?

● Does what you know (or don’t know) shape your identity in any way?

Douglass’s FatherWhat is known about Douglass’s father?

“The children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers”

(2).

● Why do you think this was the case?

● What were the potential benefits for slaveholders?

● How did this impact the children?

Captain AnthonyDescribe Douglass’s first master.

● How did he treat his slaves?

● Who was Plummer?

● What does Douglass remember about his Aunt Hester?

Chapter Two

Overcoming ChallengesWhat tools do people use to transcend difficulties?

When you encounter challenges, how do you overcome them?

What sort of challenges does Douglass recount in this chapter?

● Power structure

● “Allowance”

● Mr. Severe

Colonel Lloyd’s Plantation“The same traits of character might be seen in Colonel Lloyd’s slaves, as are seen in the

slaves of the political parties” (8).

What does Douglass say about the slaves’ singing?

● What sort of power might it have on “outsiders”?

● How is it misinterpreted?

Chapter 3

Wealth DisparityWhat are the effects of extreme economic differences between people?

Describe Colonel Lloyd’s garden.

● How does it cause problems on the plantation?

● What is Colonel Lloyd’s solution?

● Is there another (better) possible solution?

Contrast Colonel Lloyd’s treatment of his horses with his treatment of his slaves.

● Irony?

Why did slaves lie and say their masters were kind? Why would they boast about

masters they hated?

Chapter 4

DehumanizationHow does dehumanization render a person powerless?

How were slaves dehumanized?

Mr. Gore

● “He dealt sparingly with his words, and bountifully with his whip, never using the

former where the latter would answer as well” (13).

● “His horrid crime was not even submitted to judicial investigation” (14).

Mrs. Hicks, Mr. Beal Bondly, the list goes on...

Chapter 5

Chance, luck, or something else?Do good things happen to people who deserve good things, or is chance/luck at play?

Describe Douglass’s relationship with Master Daniel Lloyd.

Why was Douglass so hopeful when he left Colonel Lloyd’s plantation?

What did he discover upon his arrival at the Auld’s?

● How does Mrs. Auld treat him initially? In what ways does this change? Why?

“I may be deemed superstitious, and even egotistical, in regarding this event as a

special interposition of divine Providence in my favor” (19).

Chapter 6

The Power of Education“There can be no freedom without education.” - Frederick Douglass

How does education give us power? How would your life be different without yours?

Describe Douglass’s early education.

● What causes Mrs. Auld to change?

● What does Douglass realize in this moment?

● What does he hope to gain by learning to read?

Essential Components of Douglass’s GrowthLiteracy

● An awareness of himself

Resistance

● Asserting his manhood

Chapter 7

Knowledge = FreedomWhy is learning to read so important to practicing freedom?

Who helps Douglass learn to read?

● Why doesn’t he include their names?

How does Douglass change as a result of his literacy?

“I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It

had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes

to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out” (24).

“The light broke in upon me by degrees” (25).

Chapter 8

SufferingDoes doing harm to another harm the wrongdoer as well?

Why does Douglass return to Colonel Lloyd’s plantation?

● “We were all ranked together at the valuation” (27). Who is “we”?

“At this moment, I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon

both slave and slaveholder” (27).

● How is slavery brutal to both?

Ignorance is bliss?Why is Douglass more afraid than most other slaves at the valuation?

● What is the outcome? Where does he go next?

“Their joy at my return equalled their sorrow at my departure. It was a glad day to me”

(28).

Douglass’s grandmotherWhy does he go into such detail describing her experience?

What happened to her after Lucretia and Master Andrew died?

Why does Douglass include Whittier’s poem after the info about his grandmother?

St. Michael’sWhy is Douglass moved to St. Michael’s?

How does he feel about leaving the Aulds’s home?

To whom is he most attached at Baltimore?

Chapter 9

Justifying CrueltyHow do people justify doing wrong to others?

Why can Douglass now give dates in his autobiography?

What rule does Master Thomas Auld violate? Why is this so difficult for Douglass?

Why does Douglass say that Mr. Auld’s conversion made him worse?

“He was a recently-converted man, holding on upon the mother, and at the same time

turning out her helpless child, to starve and die! Master Thomas was one of the many

pious slaveholders who hold slaves for the very charitable purpose of taking care of

them” (33).

Chapter 10

HumanityWhat does it mean to be a human being (vs. an animal)?

● How is Douglass treated when he works for Mr. Covey?

● Find a quote that shows whether Douglass felt like a man or not during this time.

“Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My

natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read

departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery

closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!” (38).

The FightNote the imagery of ascendancy and renewal throughout this retelling.

“I resolved to fight; and, suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey hard by the

throat; and as I did so, I rose. He held onto me, and I to him. My resistance was so

entirely unexpected, that Covey seemed taken all aback. He trembled like a leaf. This

gave me assurance, and I held him uneasy, causing the blood to run where I touched

him with the ends of my fingers” (42).

“However long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I

could be a slave in fact” (43).

How does Sandy Jenkins aid Douglass in this fight? Is Douglass superstitious?

Holidays“The days between Christmas and New Year’s day are allowed as holidays” (44).

How are these holidays typically spent?

What does Douglass find cruel about these holiday breaks?

Mr. William Freeland and ReligionHow did Mr. Freeland compare to Mr. Covey?

What does Douglass think of religious slaveholders?

How were slaves expected to spend their Sundays?

Why were they punished for gathering in prayer?

How did Douglass most enjoy spending his Sundays?

Explain the pun Douglass employs using Freeland’s name.

1835What does Douglass plan to do differently in the year 1835? Why?

What does this plan look like specifically? Does it work?

How does Douglass end up alone in Easton jail?

What does Captain Auld do with Douglass next?

Describe Douglass’s experiences working for Mr. Gardner.

“Such was, and such remains, the state of things in the Christian city of Baltimore”

(58).

Why does Douglass compare Hughes to a pirate at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 11

Great ExpectationsHow can people truly rise to great expectations?

What does Douglass think of slaves retelling their methods of escape?

Note: In 1873, Douglass finally explained that he had ridden North on the railroad out

of Baltimore posing as a sailor with free papers borrowed from a black seaman who

looked somewhat like Douglass.

Hiring His TimeWhy does Master Hugh let Douglass “hire his time”?

How does this work out for each of them?

“He received all the benefits of slaveholding without its evils; while I endured all the

evils of a slave, and suffered all the care and anxiety of a freeman. I found it a hard

bargain. But, hard as it was, I thought it better than the old mode of getting along” (61).

FreedomHow does Douglass feel when he finally reaches freedom?

Is it what you expected? Why or why not?

“The humane hand of Mr. David Ruggles” (64).

“Anna, my intended wife” (65).

“Rev. J. W. C. Pennington, who, in the presence of Mr. Ruggles...performed the

marriage ceremony” (65).

● Why is this moment both beautiful and sad?

Mr. Nathan JohnsonHow is Mr. Johnson significant in Douglass’s life?

● “They proved themselves quite worthy of the name of abolitionists” (66).

How does life in the North compare to Douglass’s expectations?

● What sort of work did Douglass do prior to becoming a famous orator?

Appendix

Douglass on ReligionThe appendix counters the view that Douglass is too critical of Christianity

● Such an impression would gravely damage the effectiveness of his work

Douglass’s greatest appeal is to the morals of churchgoing whites in the North.

● Evidence?

Parody - a deliberately humorous exaggeration

● What is Douglass making fun of in his parody?