FREDERICK DOUGLASSS NARRATIVE

Frederick Douglasss Narrative

Write a four- to five-page paper (double-spaced) on Frederick Douglasss Narrative, in which you address one of the topics below. Your paper must contain a thesis, and must support that thesis with close attention to evidence from the text (you should examine carefully Douglasss words, and occasionally quote them.) There is no single “right” answer to these questions, only more or less well-crafted answers. As always, you must cite the source of quotations or significant ideas paraphrased from the text.

1. Frederick Douglass struggled to understand and explain “the white mans power to enslave the black man.” What tactics did slave owners use to maintain slavery and to prevent slaves from rebelling or escaping? What, if any, leverage did slaves have to resist and even turn the tables against the masters?

2. One of the central debates about American slavery revolves around the slaveholders reliance upon violence to keep African Americans in subjection. How does Douglass characterize the role of violence in his autobiography? How and when do masters or overseers resort to violence? Is violence their main tool for controlling their slaves?

3. Frederick Douglasss autobiography traces his journey from the degradation of slavery to freedom. In his words, “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.” What are the key turning points in the narrative? What enables Douglass to make the transition from slavery to freedom?

4. One of the goals of Frederick Douglasss Narrative is to persuade white Northerners to become abolitionists. How does Douglass attempt to do this? How does he build