Douglass, Chpts. 7-11 and Appendix
Questions to answer:
In Chapter VIII, Douglass is sent back to the country to be counted as property in the settlement of a will. What strikes you in the style of Douglass’s description of Master Thomas? Why would pious readers – those attached to the church – find this chapter challenging?
Chapter X is the longest in the book. In it, Douglass is sent to work in the field with the “slave-breaker,” Covey. He was, he reports, “broken in body, soul, and spirit.” How does the boundary between human and animal enter into the account at this point? What is striking about the apostrophe to the sailing vessels directly following this passage? [Apostrophe is a breaking off, or a turning away, to direct speech toward an inanimate object.]
What is the “glorious resurrection” in this chapter? What are the implications for Douglass’s character and for the path from slavery to freedom? How do you judge his relationships with other slaves seeking freedom?
