Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Preface

1. Who is William Lloyd Garrison?

2. In the Preface, how does Garrison describe Douglass?

3. In the Preface, why does Mr. Garrison talk about a story that Daniel O'Connell has previously told?

4. How is Garrison's Preface different than other prefaces?

5. Why does Garrison make Douglass seem to be so important to the abolitionist movement?

6. Why does Garrison's Preface seem more like a religious sermon?

Short Essay Question - Second Preface

7. What is the West Indies Experiment?