Chapter 17
Who did Frederick Douglass meet in the forest, was he considered a friend or an enemy?
He met, a slave from Mr. kemp, called Sandy. He considered him to be a friend.
Did slaves have to perform regular work, during the days between Christmas and New Years?
No, most slave had the chance to visit family and rest.
Out of the 6 - Henry Harris, John Harris, Sandy Jenkins, Charles Roberts, Frederick Douglass, Henry Bailey - who stayed the longest in prison, and who didn't go to prison?
Frederick Douglass was kept a week longer, then got bailed out by his master, because he was viewed as the dangerous rebellious instigator. Sandy did not go to prison because he did not attempt to escape, and instead was likely the reason they were imprisoned.
One day while working at his ship-building job, Douglass was attacked by four white men coming from all sides. Did he win the fight?
No, he was beat up, snd was severely kicked in the left eye, to the point where he thought his eye had bursted.
Why did Douglass want his own money and what was he planing to do with it?
He wanted the money to have partial freedom and control over his life, and more importantly for his escape. Specifically for his fare of the underground rail road.
Did Douglass believe in the magic root, that would protect him from abuse, given to him from Sandy?
After not being hit on the Sunday of his return, then winning the fight with Covey, he still did not believe in the root.
How was Douglass' new master Mr. Freeland either different or similar to Mr. Covey?
Mr. Freeland was the opposite of Mr. Covey, he was kinder, did not try to "break them", fed them correctly, and did not spy on them.
Was Douglass and his companion's attempt to escape successful? If no, what happened?
It was not successful, because they day of their attempted escape, they were taken and imprisoned, because someone ratted their plans out to their masters.
After being severely physically harassed at his work, did anyone get convicted? Why?
None one got convicted, because none of the white witnesses testified in seeing the harassment. At the time only white people were aloud to testify, so even after seeing his injuries, the legal system acted as if nothing happened.
What arrangement was made, in relation to his job, that gave him a sense of partial freedom?
He was allowed to do what he pleased during the week, whilst working, but under the condition that he had to bring back a certain sum every Saturday, but he also had to clothe, buy his tools, and feed himself.
Covey and Douglass fought, who won, and how did this fight impact their relationship in the future?
Douglass won the fight, and from then on, Covey never hit him again.
Did Douglass meet new people, that affected him greatly, during his time with Mr. Freeland? If yes name one.
Yes Douglass made new friends, he considered brothers, called Henry and John Harris.
What was their plan to escape? (Roughly)
The plan was to take one of the master's canoe, and on the night before easter, launch it into Chesapeake bay and paddle north 70 miles, then go onto land, and walk north till they reached a free-state.
At his job he started to make money, was he allowed to keep this money? How did this make him feel?
No at this point he was not aloud to keep his money. After having his hard-works labor, taking away from him every Saturday, his distaste for slavery grew stronger.
Douglass says that family and friendship, can hinder the desire to escape slavery, why is that?
It hinders it because, family and friends create emotional ties that make escape far more painful. Enslaved people had to choose between their own freedom and the possibility of never seeing loved ones again.
"I was nothing before; I was a man now. It recalled to life my crushed self-respect, and my self confidence, and inspired me with a renewed determination to be a free man." pg 127
How does Douglass' physical resistance, recover his lost self-respect, self-confidence?
Ex. The physical resistance proved to him that he was no longer powerless. Even though he was still enslaved, because he stood up for himself it allowed him to see himself as a man, instead of property. Feeling like a man allowed him to regained his self-respect and self-confidence.
"...holidays were among the most effective ways in the hands of slaveholders of keeping down the spirit of insurrection among the slaves."pg130-131
Why does Douglass describe the holidays as a way of preventing rebellion, instead of giving them a time of relief from slavery?
ex. Instead of freedom or rest, holidays created temporary pleasure, which distracted enslaved people from thinking about their oppression. This made them less likely to rebel. They created an illusion of kindness and independence, even though it was actually keeping enslaved people powerless and dependent.
"But no man can tell the intense agony which was felt by the slave when wavering on the point of making his escape. All that he has is at stake, and even that which he has not is at stake also."pg144
What does the the last sentence mean? What are the two things at stake?
ex. The last sentence means that escaping slavery risks, what the enslaved person already has, and what they hope to gain.“All that he has is at stake” is talking about having a "good" master and also if caught the severity of the punishment .“Even that which he has not is at stake also” refers to freedom, and by not attempting escape he risks never becoming free.
"No fewer than 50 white men stood by and saw this brutal and shameful outrage committed, and not a man of them all interposed a single word of mercy."pg160
How does this show that slavery was upheld not only by slaveholders, but by the whole of society?
ex. The violence was witnessed by 50 white men, whom of which did nothing. This shows that ordinary members of society allowed slavery to continue through their inaction. Because not one person spoke up it proved that cruelty toward enslaved people had become normalized. It was another way in which white people were kept in power.
"It was an admission of my right to the whole sum. The fact that he gave me any part of my wages, was proof that he suspected I had the right to the whole of them."pg165
How does this quote reveal the slaveholder’s awareness of the wrongs of slavery?
ex.Paying Douglass part of his wages shows that his Master knows he had a rightful right to it. By giving even a small portion, the slaveholder admits in a way that taking all the wages is unjust.
"The fight with Mr. Covey...was the turning point in my 'life as a slave'. It rekindled in my breast the smouldering embers of liberty."pg127
What message does this last sentence convey? What impact is created from the diction choice of the word smouldering?
ex. The sentence is conveying that winning the fight reignited the hope for liberty, and that it even survived under the oppression of slavery. The diction choice “smouldering” shows that freedom was still alive beneath the surface because, smouldering embers are embers that produce heat without flames. This shows that slavery could suppress his freedom temporarily but could not extinguish it.
(Context-F.D. teaching enslaved people)"The light of education had been completely excluded and their hard earnings had been taken to educate their master's children. I felt a delight in circumventing the tyrant and in blessing the victims of their curses."pg135-136
What is he saying by using the diction choice "the light of education"? What does circumventing the tyrant and blessing the victims of their curses mean?
ex. Douglass compares light to education, which shows that knowledge brings clarity. It implies that education allows enslaved people to “see” the truth about their condition. (Like shedding light on a situation) circumventing the tyrant means that secretly teaching enslaved people allowed him to resist the slaveholders, and the word circumventing showing it is a quiet rebellion. Blessing the victims of their curses, by teaching enslaved people to read, Douglass is undoing the damage slaveholders made by keeping them ignorant and uneducated.
(context-how they felt while planing their escape)"We were, at times, confident, bold and determined, and again, doubting, timid and wavering; whistling, as did the boy in the graveyard to keep away the spirits"pg142
What does the metaphor of the whistling boy mean? Does this metaphor add or remove to the sentence?
ex.The metaphor is saying that Douglass and the others acted brave on the outside to hide fear that was on the inside. Just like the boy who whistles to make himself feel less scared in the scary graveyard. This metaphor adds to the sentence because it shows how their confidence was fragile and sometimes forced.
"The slave must know no higher law than his master's will… if there be one crevice through which a single drop can fall, it will certainly rust off the slave's chain."pg 164
What does the metaphor mean, in this context? How does it relate too, Douglass', theme that education is freedom?
ex. Douglass is comparing a single drop, to a small amount of awareness to the system, which can destroy the system, the chain of the slave. It directly is related to education because, as water can slowly break the metal, education slowly break the system of slavery.
"Master Hugh raved, and swore he would 'get hold of me', but wisely for him, and happily for me, his wrath employed only those harmless, impalpable missals which role from a limber tongue."pg168
How does Douglass' Diction in the last line, allow you to perceive the threats made by Master Hugh? Using context clues what is a limber tongue?
ex.The last line makes Master Hugh’s threats seem weak and powerless. Using “harmless, impalpable missiles,” Douglass is saying that Hugh’s anger is words only, not real action. The word impalpable means something that cannot be touched, shows it's not physical. A “limber tongue” might mean someone who can talk quickly or angrily but does not act. (All bark no bite)