Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself | Teaching Setting, Symbolism and Objects

Object Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Objects

Talbot County - The narrator is born in this county, where it is common for slaves to be mistreated.

Great House Farm - Douglass spends his early childhood here, and it is considered by slaves in the surrounding areas to be a privileged place to work.

Slave Songs - Some think these are evidence of the slave's happiness, but Douglass sees in them a slave's deepest anguish.

Baltimore - Douglass is unexpectedly sent to live here with Captain Thomas Auld's brother, Hugh Auld. Douglass learns how to read and write here.

The...
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