1. What does it take for a slave to become free?

2. What does freedom mean? Is it more than just being legally free?
3. What does it mean to be an American slave? How can the United States
be the "land of the free" if it tolerated slavery?
4. What lessons does Douglass's life have for readers who aren't slaves?
What can we learn from his story?
5. Why is education so important to Douglass?
6. Why do you think it was important for slave owners to keep slaves
ignorant about their birthdays and parentage? Douglass opens his story
by telling us that he is troubled by not knowing when he was born. Why is
this fact so important to him?
7. List the turning points in Douglass' life. To what extent did his "take-
charge" attitude create these turning points?
8. Douglass presents much of his narrative in a factual tone and avoids
personal opinions, yet the story is full of emotion. How is this possible?
Where do you find evidence of emotion?

9. What kind of hero is Douglass? Does his heroism come from his physical
or mental state? Or does it come from both? Of the two types of heroes
(physical or mental), which would he consider himself?

10. In Chapter II, Douglass expresses his belief that education will set him
free. What does he mean by this? Is this essentially an optimistic view? If
he could visit us today, do you think he would still hold this view?

11. Examine the films Roots and Glory, as well as music videos of Public
Enemy; how do they portray slavery and black-white relationships in
nineteenth-century America? Discuss the films and videos in terms of
Douglass' Narrative.

12. Compare Douglass' depiction of the struggle of African Americans in

white America with the narratives of such black writers as Maya Angelou,
bell hooks, Alex Haley, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison. In what ways can
Douglass' influence be seen in the works of later black writers?

13. Douglass' marriage to his white secretary in the later part of his life
caused considerable discomfort among his white and black friends and
acquaintances. Douglass had this to say about his marriage: "They would
have no objections to my marrying a person much darker in complexion
than myself, but to marry someone much lighter, and of the complexion
of my father rather than my mother, was, in the popular eye, a shocking
offense." To what extent have attitudes regarding interracial marriage
changed? From his Narrative, what can you discern about his opinions
regarding interracial marriage and/or procreation?
14. The interracial concerns and problems Douglass expressed still affect
us today. How will these problems diminish? Consider a disunited and
disenfranchised African-American population, alcoholism/drug addiction
among African-Americans, and the matter of whites fearing that
minorities will take their jobs away.

15. Various critics have placed Douglass' Narrative within the genres of
Romanticism and also that of Realism. Does it belong to either category?
Justify your claims.

16. The underlying assumption and philosophy of Douglass' Narrative is

that humans can (and must) create their destiny. Comment on Douglass'
philosophy, citing examples and illustrations.

17. Several times in his Narrative, Douglass expresses his view that
slavery is bad for both whites and blacks. In what ways is slavery
detrimental to the South?

18. What function do Garrisons preface and Phillipss letter serve?

19. How does Douglass show that slavery corrupts slave owners?
20. What role do women play in Douglasss Narrative? Pay close attention
to when or if female characters speak, to how female characters relate to
Douglass, and to the depiction of women in relation to virtue.
21. Analyze Douglasss treatment of Christianity in the Narrative. Why
does he include his Appendix?
22. How does Douglass describe New Bedford, Massachusetts? How does
this description undermine economic arguments in favor of slavery?
23. Think about Douglasss private speech to the ships in Chapter X. Why
does Douglass recreate this speech in his Narrative? What do the ships
represent? Why is this moment important within the Narrative?
24. Analyze the various references to American Revolutionaries in
Douglasss Narrative. How does Douglasss use of these references differ
from Garrisons and Phillipss? Why is the phrase An American Slave
included in Douglasss title?
25. What are Douglass's views on Christianity?
26. What are the elements of traditional African religion and dialect in the
autobiography?
27. What are the various ways in which Douglass expresses the horrors of
slavery?
28. What are the tone and style Douglass employs in his prose?
29. What are Douglass's perceptions of the North?
30. Why are William Lloyd Garrison's and Wendell Phillips's preface and
letter, respectively, included at the beginning of the Narrative?
31. How does Douglass's abolitionism begin and develop?
32. How does Douglass evolve from a boy and a slave to a fully-realized
man and human being?
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