from the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass Questions and Answers(A+ Solution guide)

What does Douglass mean when he says, "I have often wished myself a beast?" - Answer He would rather be a beast, ignorant, than someone who knows how to read, because being able to read has caused him so much pain. He's saying that if he was a beast, he wouldn't understand right from wrong or be able to realize that slavery is evil, and he'd rather that than stay a slave, knowing he deserves better. Did the mistress' initial kindness or her eventual cruelty affect Douglass more? - Answer The initial kindness had the greatest effect on him because it was because of this kindness that Douglass was able to first start to read and learn. Without that crucial first step, he never would have been free. He says in the book, " Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and nothing could prevent me from taking the ell." In what way is knowledge "bread?" - Answer Just as the bread sustained and fed the poor children who taught Frederick Douglass to read, the knowledge that gave him sustained his mind and allowed him to grow in knowledge. In an autobiography, authors focus on events that... - Answer are important to the story and that are related by cause and effect What were the three effects mentioned in the excerpt that were caused by Frederick reading speeches by Sheridan, The Colombian Orator? - Answer 1. He was able to see clearly that slavery was wrong. 2. He "began to abhor and detest" his enslavers. 3. He thinks reading is a curse rather than a blessing. How does Douglass describe slaveholders? - Answer "A successful band of robbers" What is Douglass' purpose for writing? Identify three events in the selection that help him achieve this goal. - Answer His purpose for writing was to express his thoughts and feelings on slavery and education. Events that help him portray these ideas include: 1. Mistress teaching him the alphabet2. The poor white boys teach him how to read 3. He reads the Colombian Orator, speeches by Sheridan, and more. Autobiographies are told in the _______ person view. - Answer first