Advanced Placement Junior English Language

Summer Reading Assignment

(09-10)

Before returning to school next school year, you will need to read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass. You must annotate your book as you read. Annotations will be graded.

While reading, it is important to remember that Douglass designed this work as an argument AGAINST slavery. With this in mind, you need to annotate for examples of his argument on why slavery represents such an evil entity. Annotate for Douglas’s use of the 3 Appeals (Logos, Pathos, and Ethos) and his use of DIDLS (Diction, Imagery, Details, Figurative Language, and Syntax). Remember, it is not enough to simply identify these devices – you need to be able to explain why the device is used, why it is important, and how it helps formulate his argument.

1. Find examples of the following arguments against slavery in your reading (mark them in your text) – noting when relevant how the use of rhetorical devices brings out his argument.

Problems with slavery

A. The gross injustices and dehumanizing (both slave and slaveholder) character

B. Forces deception between slave holder and slave

C. Destroys relationships between whites/blacks, blacks/blacks

D. Hypocrisy of Southern Christianity, the church’s role in supporting

slavery (Make sure you read and annotate the Appendix)

2. Settings

A. The different places he lived

B. Whom he served under

C. What he learned or did at these places

3. Characters: know the importance of each of these characters – how do they fit Douglas’s purposes in telling his story?

A. Whites/Slaveholders B. Slaves

1. Colonel Lloyd 1. Harriet Bailey

2. Daniel Lloyd (son) 2. Aunt Hester

3. Captain Anthony 3. Demby

4. Andrew (son) 4. John and Henry

5. Lucretia (daughter) Auld 5. Henny

6. Capt. Thomas Auld (son-in-law) 6. Sandy Jenkins

7. Hugh Auld (Thomas’s brother) 7. FD’s grandmother

8. Edward Covey 8. FD’s brother

9. William Freeland C. White Overseers

10. Mr. Gardner 1. Mr. Severe

11. Mr. David Ruggles 2. Mr. Hopkins

3. Mr. Austin Gore