Directions: Answer the questions below in paragraph format. Be thorough in your response. Answers should be a minimum of 5-6 sentences long and should include textual examples when and where warranted.
1. What kinds of brutality did Douglass witness when he was a child? How did this bru-tality affect him later in life? Douglass told about an incident that happened shortly after his arrival at his first mas-ter’s home (Douglass 1184). His master, Caption Anthony, seemed to take pleasure in beating his slaves (1184). When he discovered Douglass’ aunt had disobeyed him, he “commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red blood…came dripping to the floor.” (1185) Douglass witnessed this extreme beating of his
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Auld said Douglass was “unsuitable to his purpose” and leased him to a farm-renter, Mr. Covey, to work for, for one year (1207). About six months into the contract (1211), Douglass and Covey fought each other, and Douglas called this fight “the turning-point in [his] career as a slave” (1214). Af-ter the fight, Douglass resumed his thoughts about becoming free (1215).
3. What role does literacy play in Douglass’s emancipation? Mrs. Auld taught Douglass his ABCs and how “to spell words of three or four letters”, but stopped when her husband told her it was illegal to educate a slave (Douglass 1196). Douglass found others to teach him to read (1197-1199). When he was twelve, Douglass read “The Columbian Orator” and learned about emancipation (1199).
4. How is the white man a victim of slavery, according to Douglass? Slavery, particularly owning slaves, had a negative effect on a person (Douglass 1198). As an example, Douglass describes the differences he witnessed in his mistress, Mrs. Auld (1198). He stated that after becoming the wife of a slaveowner, she changed for the worse; her heart turned to stone, she developed fierce disposition, and she became violent