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The Narrative of the Life

of Frederick Douglass

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

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How is Douglass able to achieve dignity in the face of oppression?

(Resolve his identity crisis)

What is Frederick Douglass’

purpose in writing this book?

This chapter?

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Chapter 1: pgs. 1-7 ...a good overseer.

Identify an instance of striking description.

  • Write the quote; include page number.
  • What stylistic devices does it use?
  • How is it effective in helping to convey the author’s purpose?

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Have you ever listened to a song to make you feel bad or mad instead of good?

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Chapter 2: music and emotion -

1 paragraph reflection

Review: What are some aspects of being human that were denied to enslaved people?

Reflection Question: Comment on Douglass’ observations on singing. How did the singing of slaves make him feel? In his opinion, what did it express? Choose a quote about the music that stood out to you and explain why it stands out.

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Chapter 3

  • What is the overall purpose of this chapter?
  • What is one way slaves are not treated as fully human? What is one way that Douglass shows them acting/reacting with full humanity?
  • Give an example of a description in this chapter that is striking.

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Chapter 6 (VI)

In this chapter, 12 year old Frederick has been sent to live with with and serve one of his master’s relatives in Baltimore.

  • Identify one example of how Douglass uses vivid contrasts to describe the effects of slave-owning.
  • Why do you think the city slaves were treated so much better than slaves on plantations?
  • What do you think is the main argument being made in this chapter?

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Rhetorical Devices: Ethos

Essential to persuasion is the credibility of the speaker.

Speakers must demonstrate to the audience that they have a right to speak on the topic and a right to be heard.

Ethos is the process where a speaker establishes his or her credibility with the audience.

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Ethos in Frederick Douglass’ book

10/27/2015

(Use at least 2 examples.)

In chapter VII, Douglass established his credibility by...

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Ch. 7 (Ethos - education)

pg. 43 “... against my learning to read only served to inspire me with the desire and determination to read.” pg. 46/pg. 48

pg. 50“they gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul which had frequently flashed through my mind and died away for want of utterance”

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Ch. 7 (Ethos - freedom)

pg. 65 summary= Irish dockworkers inspire him to think about running away

p.61 inch and the ell

pg. 47 “slavery proved as injurious to her as it did me.” “slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities.”

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Ethos ch. 7

pg. 49 “...but I am a slave for life!”

pg. 47 “She had heavenly qualities…..tiger like fierceness”

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Chapter 8 (VIII)

How does Douglass make a strong argument in 8?

Write an analytical paragraph answering the question. Analyze two examples from the text.

Choose: diction, fig. language, or sentence structure etc.

Topic Sentence Starter: Douglass’ use of _____ to describe his grandmother’s sad fate helps achieve his purpose of awakening outrage in the reader.

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Chapter 10 (X)

  • Discuss:

What are the major events in this chapter?

2. Quiz Question: What argument is Douglass making in this chapter? Choose evidence to support your choice (4) . Evidence should show the argument, not just restate it.

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Ch. 10 Events

  • He lives w/ Mr. Covey now, field hand. Brutal, whips FD often, “nigger breaker”.
  • After being beaten, FD defies Covey. They fight, Covey lets it go b/c he can’t lose face.
  • He gains sense of manhood, becomes more assertive towards overseers.

(Has a depression, wonders if he’ll ever be free.)

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Ch. 10 Evts. “Freedom of the mind”

  • Became a field hand w/ Mr. Covey
  • frequent whippings (1st beating b/c broke oxcart)
  • Mr. Covey is hypocritically religious (forces rape, adultery)...poor… “nigger breaker”
  • Covey is deceitful, “the snake”, always trying to catch slaves slacking off
  • Frederick Douglass fights Covey...Covey doesn’t report if b/c ashamed

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Slavery is a brutal institution that often takes away people’s ability to fully be human.

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*Choosing Strong Evidence

If I argue that the act of possessing slaves caused people to act less than human, my evidence should vividly show someone acting inhumane.

“When we were at work in the cornfield, he would sometimes crawl on his hands and knees to avoid detection, and all at once he would rise nearly in our midst, and scream out, "Ha, ha! Come, come! Dash on, dash on!"’

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Chapter X (10)

What is the argument in ch. 10?

How does he use Logos, Ethos, and Pathos to make it?

How is his use of creative language effective?

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Ch. XI (11) 1st

  • Why did he hesitate to leave B-more?
  • Why is this important for readers to know about?

-made a new family out of his friends

-shows he is a human being with human sentiments even though slavery tried to beat out his humanity

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Ch. XI (11) 2nd

  • Why did he hesitate to leave B-more?
  • Why is this important for readers to know about?

*it would have been hurtful to the friends he left behind...which counters the argument that it’s not worth it to leave everything you know

*he creates a family with unity, even though slavers tried to dehumanize him…..maintains his humanity

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CH. 11 reading quiz pgs. 141-144

  • What did he expect would be the general living situation of people in the north?

  • How were things different than he expected? Give 2 examples in his own words.

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Review Ch. 10 & 11

  • Create a storyboard showing the main events of these last two chapters. Create 6 panels.
  • Each panel should include words from the text that help show the scene’s importance.

*This assignment counts as the quiz grade for chapters 10 & 11.

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What do we need to do and do well to successfully write this essay?

How does Frederick Douglass make an effective argument against slavery? Analyze his use of rhetorical appeals and his creative use of language to explain how he persuades his readers that slavery should be eliminated.

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Success Criteria 1st/2nd period

  • read and understand all of book
  • identify FD’s main arguments, main points he made
  • find evidence of rhetorical appeals and creative language that are used to support his arguments
  • understand and categorize evidence by type of rhetorical appeal and by type of creative language
  • *decide how those choices make the argument strong
  • check that the evidence works w/ teacher or peers
  • come up with your thesis

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Anti-slavery claims that FD proposes

1.Slavery dehumanizes the slaves.

a. abuse, whipping

b. mental torture of false hope

2. It makes slavers hypocrites in terms of their religion (makes religion meaningless).

3. Slavery dehumanizes and degrades everyone involved

  • “the snake” Mr. Covey
  • Ms. Auld, nice at first...slavery made her cruel

4. Slaves were equally human despite the mistreatment

  • sad to leave friends to escape

5. ch 11?

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Anti-slavery claims that FD proposes

  • Despite deprivation, slaves are still motivated to improve their minds.
  • learning from little white boys

2. Slavery changed people for the worst, owners and slaves

  • Ms. Auld became “a tiger”

3. People became expendable even after huge sacrifice

  • grandmother died alone

4. Despite being dehumanized, slaves could have dignity if they took it

  • fought Mr. Covey “see how a slave became a man”

5. IN New Bedford, (north) there were free black living in homes better than many of the whites in south, lack of poverty in north. (didn’t slaves to live prosperously.)

6. slave owning made religious ppl hypocrites; damned themselves

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Essay Prompt

How does Frederick Douglass make an effective argument against slavery? Analyze his use of rhetorical appeals and his creative use of language to explain how he persuades his readers that slavery should be eliminated.

REQUIREMENTS

*2.5 -3 pages *12 point font *double-spaced

*MLA format heading & citations *add pg. #’s

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Finding and categorizing Evidence

Once you A.) decide which 2 or 3 arguments you think are Douglass’ most important,

B.) collect evidence that supports them.

C.) Then categorize it by what type of appeal or creative writing it is.

Appeals-->

Logos=logic Ethos=experience Pathos=sympathy

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Creative Language: Helps show the TONE

diction→ always use an adjective to describe what kind of words are chosen

figurative language→ comparisons, symbols

sentence structure→ Are they long, drawn out sentences? Short, shocked sentences?

vivid imagery→ what examples and details are used?

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Thesis Draft: you can go a few different ways with this...