STUDY QUESTIONS:  NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

 

 

 

1. How did Frederick Douglass understand his "life"?  What were its lessons?  What lessons did he learn?  What lessons did he hope his fellows still in slavery would learn?  What

lessons did he hope white people--North and South--would

learn?

    

What was Douglass' assessment of Sophia Auld's character?

How did becoming a slaveowner change her?  In Douglass'

opinion, how did slavery change society?

 

 

What were the implications of Douglass's understanding of Sophia Auld for his view of the proper role of women in American society.

 

 

2.  Douglass entered a Northern society increasing divided by class, workingclass and owning class.  Who did Douglass identify with?  How do you know that?  What difference did it mean? 

 

Among the competing definitions of equality—-JacksonÕs, SkidmoreÕs, GrimkeÕs—-which did Douglass identify with.  

 

3. Most Northerners had no direct knowledge of slavery.  DouglassÕs Narrative informed them of what it was like?  How accurate was DouglassÕs portrayal? 

    

What was the nature of slavery in Frederick Douglass'

Maryland?  How representative was DouglassÕs experience?

 

What were the differences between life on an Eastern Shore

plantation and life in Baltimore?  What were the benefits

and disadvantages of urban and rural slave life?

 

4  Consider the place of the family in Douglass' Life?  The

role of his mother and various surrogate mothers?  Douglass' father?  Douglass' kin?

 

5. How did Douglass gain his freedom?  Consider the role "will" and "education."

 

6. Consider the role of violence in Douglass' story.  Why were slaves punished so harshly and arbitrarily?  How did

Douglass react the first time he witnessed the whipping of a fellow slave?  How did he demonstrate his manhood?

 

 

7. How did slaves distinguish a good from a bad master, a good from a bad overseer?  By what standard did slaves measure kindness?

 

8. Consider the religious beliefs of Frederick Douglass?  How does he understand God?  How does he understand religion?

 

9.What does Douglass tell us about Afro-American life in the free states?  What was the relationship between Douglass and other free workers?  In Baltimore?  In the North?