Name: ______________________________ Period: _____ Date: ___________________________

Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, c. February 1818--February 20, 1895)
was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from
slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive
antislavery writing. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves lacked the
intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Many Northerners also found it hard to
believe that such a great orator had been a slave.

Auto Bio
(self) (life)

Memoir (memory)

An autobiography focuses on the chronology (in order) of the writers entire life while a memoir covers one
specific aspect of the writers life.

Slave Narrative: story of the slave

As we read the autobiography, pay attention to audience and purpose.

Audience Because slavery existed and slaves couldnt read, Douglass had to cater his autobiography
to the white audience that would be reading his work.
Purpose Most likely to gain empathy (understanding) for the conditions of the slave. (Add
additional purposes as you read the text.)

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Close Reading

Directions: Since we are reading short *excerpts from chapters 6 and 7 of Douglass slave narrative, it is
possible to conduct a close reading of the texts. Please follow the applicable steps of explication and annotate
as you read. You will be expected to complete a SOAPStone chart as well.

*Excerpt (passage; piece) from the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)