The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Chapters 1&2

Character 1: Frederick Douglass

Traits: Intelligent, observant, determined.

Importance: The narrator.

Character 2: Harriet Bailey

Traits: Loving but forced to separate, walked miles at night to see Douglass.

Importance: Shows how slavery can break up families.

Character 3: Douglass’s Father (unknown)

Traits: Likely a white man, possibly his owner, absent.

Importance: Example of how slaveowners can still enslave their own child.

Character 4: Colonel Lloyd

Traits: Rich, powerful, feared by slaves.

Importance: Shows how slaveowners can control slaves with fear.

Setting 1: Talbot County, Maryland

Importance: Where Douglass lives and grows up.

Setting 2: Early 1800s

Importance: Gives us historical context so we understand slavery is “normal” for its time.

Conflict 1: Douglass’s lack of identity

Problem: He doesn’t know how old he is, he didn’t know his mother well and doesn’t know his father at all.

Type: Man vs. self

Resolution: Not resolved yet

Conflict 2: Slaves vs. Slavemasters

Problem: Brutal mistreatment, family separations.

Type: Man vs. society

Resolution: Not resolved yet.

Theme: Power

The slaveowners hold power over the enslaved because they control knowledge for example, Frederick Douglass not knowing his age. This keeps the slaves powerless because they don’t know anything about themselves therefore they can’t understand their own worth or identity.

Plot card 1

Douglass doesn’t know his age because the slaveowners keep it a secret.

Plot card 2

Douglass shared limited memories of his mother, who died when he was young.

Plot card 3

Douglass hints that his father might have been his slaveowner.

Plot card 4

Douglass describes forced family separation on plantations.

Plot card 5

He introduces Colonel Lloyd and his massive plantation.

Plot card 6

Douglass explains why you have to be careful what you say as a slave because they were often punished or sold to plantations that were very far away.