Group Members

1. Group Members • Meredith Miller • Megan Furman • Mattie Wasiak • Lydia Sambuco

2. Passage Chapter: 6 Page:34-35 Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C [1]. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, "If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now," said he, "if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy." [2] These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. [3] It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. [4] Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read. [5] The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. [6] It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn. [7] [8]In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both. [9]

3. Annotation 1 “Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C.” This sentence uses inverted syntax to enhance the second half of the sentence because the reader is more likely to remember the last thing they read and in this case, that portion is more influential than the beginning half. This shows that Douglass was very focused on learning to read so that he may excel from being an ordinary slave. This desire to read heightens his desire to be free The informal diction that Douglass uses when he refers to the alphabet (A,B,C) demonstrates his lack of education. This relates to the overall theme of disdaining slavery because he was defying the normal characteristics of a slave. Return to passage

4. Annotation 2 “ ‘If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,’ said he, ‘if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.’” This part of the passage establishes irony. If Douglass was able to read then he would use it to his advantage rather than it making him “discontented and unhappy.” Also in the passage, Mr. Auld is referring to how he will use his ability to read and write to defy slavery which in the end, Douglass contributes to the abolitionist movements by publishing a newspaper that talks about the inhumanity of slavery. Return to passage

5. Annotation 3 “These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought.” This portion of the passage incorporates climax. The three events of the sentence builds up to the final idea that Douglass’ entire ideology changed. In the beginning sequential events happened that lead up to him thinking about using his knowledge towards defying slavery. This contributes to the overall theme because it was the turning point where Douglass really decided to defy slavery and run away. Return to passage

6. Annotation 4 “Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master.” This sentence incorporates a change in Douglass’ tone. In the beginning he is sad that he may not see his mistress any longer because he is losing a teacher just as he is sad about his condition as a slave before he learned how to read. In the second half of the sentence he is glad that he has gained the education from his master and mistress, making him glad that he has gained an ability to defy slavery. Return to passage

7. Annotation 5 “I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read.” The parenthesis in this sentence shows how Douglass was determined to learn how to read, no matter the punishment that could come from his actions. It emphasizes his will to defy slavery and support the abolitionist movements as referred to by the “fixed purpose”. Return to passage

8. Annotation 6 “The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering.” In this sentence, Douglass uses parenthesis, including the detail that Mr. Auld was trying to convince his wife that teaching the slaves was detrimental to their condition. He also includes the additional idea to show that their masters had no purpose for the action they take but to enhance their appearance so that the slaves would fear them and refrain from defying them. Return to passage

9. Annotation 7 “It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn.” This passage uses irony because Mr. Auld feared that teaching Douglass to read and write would cause him to act out and over rule slavery; however Douglass never had the idea to use his knowledge for a higher purpose until Mr. Auld mentioned it, making him desire what Mr. Auld most feared. In the end Douglass becomes a major influence to the abolition movement, that helps to end slavery. Return to passage

10. Annotation 8 “What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn.” The series of antithesis in this passage shows Douglass’ contradictory ideas to that of Mr. Auld. While Mr. Auld thinks that teaching slaves will corrupt them from being manageable and ruin the system of slavery, Douglass thinks that it will allow him to pursue his dreams and that the end of slavery is good for everyone. The opposition from Mr. Auld fuels his desire to become free. Return to passage

11. Annotation 9 “In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both.” Douglass uses antithesis to compare the effect of both his master and mistress to his character. While Mrs. Auld was comforting and supportive of him, giving him the courage to defy slavery, Mr. Auld drove his fight by giving him the harsh experience of slavery, making him want to leave and abolish it. Return to passage

12. Syntax • Inverted syntax: reversal of the basic subject-verb order of a sentence. • Climax: consists of arranging words, clauses, or sentences in the order of increasing importance, weight, or emphasis. • Parenthesis: Consists of a word, phrase, or whole sentence inserted as an aside in the middle of another sentence. • Antithesis: Establishing a clear, contrasting relationship between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them, often in parallel structure. Return to passage

13. Irony A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result. Return to passage

14. Vocabulary Discontented: (adj.) dissatisfied, especially with one's circumstances Return to passage

15. Vocabulary Perplexing: (adj.) completely baffling; very puzzling. Return to passage

16. Vocabulary Merest: (adj.) - that is solely or no more or better than what is specified - the smallest or slightest Return to passage