Skip to main content
Social Sci LibreTexts

3.2: “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” Chapter 7

  • Page ID
    152008
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    In this section, read to discover how Frederick Douglass, a former slave, abolitionist, writer, and advocate for racial equality, was able to enact the tenets of critical literacy as he describes his experiences becoming literate in his book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

    Before Reading and During Reading

    1.

    Write down what you remember about Frederick Douglass from your own background and from the article from The Smithsonian American Art Museum.

    2.

    As you read and annotate chapter VII from his book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, notice how Douglass was able to read the world around him. Write down specific examples of how he read the world.

    3.

    In his narrative, Douglass recounts his process of gaining some literacy abilities. Take note of how those experiences impacted him personally.

    4.

    In which specific ways did Frederick Douglass act to challenge his oppression and the injustices in his environment?

     
     
     
     
    Link to Full Text

    Chapter VII Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    After Reading

    After Reading

    Use the critical literacy framework to describe how Frederick Douglass enacted critical literacy.





     


    3.2: “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” Chapter 7 is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.