Life of Frederick Douglass History Term Paper Paper

Life of Frederick Douglass
Name
Institution
Due Date
Life of Frederick Douglass
Chapter 1-2
Withheld knowledge seems to be a theme in the first chapter of Douglass’s narrative. What information is withheld from him? Why?
His age as well as who his father was. As a slave, it was considered improper and impertinent to know or even inquire about things like age. On the part of his father, he admits, “I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me” (2). The reason could be because his master was rumored to be his father.
What does the reader learn about Douglass’s background?
The reader learns that his background was marred with many uncertainties. From not knowing his age to not ever getting the opportunity to bond with his mother or know her well, to not knowing his father. One also learns that his background is also marred with instances of oppression. His mother, for example, is never allowed to see him during the day and could only sneak in at night and be back at her plantation by sunrise.
What is Douglass’s first brush with the violence of slavery? How does he describe this scene and why?
His first brush with the violence of slavery comes when he finds Aunt Hester being whipped. Douglass describes the scene quite vividly and captures everything as he saw it including the shrieks as well as the blood he saw dripping. This he did because it was his first time to witness such violence. “I had never seen any thing like it before,” he notes (8).
What are his other “first impressions” of slavery described in Chapter 2?
His other first impressions of slavery include:
* Food rationing – slaves were only allowed “eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushnel of corn meal” (10).
* Yearly clothing – Douglass notes “Their yearly clothing consisted of two...