Frederick Douglass
THINK Questions
1. Identify textual evidence from the excerpt that reveals why learning
to read was so important to Frederick Douglass when he was a boy.
2. What parallels, or similarities, do you see between the books
Douglass reads and his own life? Cite textual evidence from the
excerpt to support the similarities you find.
3. What does Douglass learn about the history of slavery through the
books that he reads that lead him to detest his master, even though
in some ways, as a boy, Douglass felt he was “much better off” than
some of the white boys in his neighborhood. Cite textual evidence to
support your answer.
4. In his memoir, Frederick Douglass wrote about what he paid to learn
to read, the pain of gaining knowledge, and how he even wished not
to have learned what he did about freedom. Do you agree with
Douglass that knowledge can be hurtful? Cite textual evidence.