1. What were your initial reactions to what happens in the opening two chapters? What scene/information grabbed your attention? Please be specific in your response.

The entire book is interesting in its existence. I have to go back and read the preface and introduction to even begin to understand how the book came into being. How a slave can write a first-person book with such eloquence is heartbreaking because of course you understand his incredible intelligence was under utilized as a slave of any kind. The vocabulary is incredible in its complexity. Even if he taught himself to read it is amazing that he would teach himself at such a high level. That said the first two chapters are horrific. His entire life is truly god-awful. Taken away from his mother at such a young age and seeing the whippings and everything else that goes with the idea that you are somehow less than human is unimaginable. The worse section so far has been the woman being strung up and whipped, it was so detailed.

  1. What do you notice about Douglass’ writing style? Be specific in your response.
 

The first-person retelling with everyone’s names makes what is being said somehow more “real”. When reading about the horrors of slavery that happened to someone else or retelling it with the cool second person historical perspective is not as personal as hearing a first-person account of someone who lived there, saw it, did it, felt it, the whole thing. The first-person rendition of his life seems impossible. He uses everyone’s real name and where they actually lived it seems that somewhere along the line someone would say “no you’re not allowed to do that to a white person”. Before chapter 1 it says entered in the year 1845 by Frederick Douglass. I believe this to mean that that is the year the finished book was prepared by the anti-slavery office. I’m interested to know how he got there in 1845 Boston, although I’m afraid the trip will be as bloody as the first two chapters. His writing style is very articulate and clear.