1st PUC ENGLISH NOTES - FREDERICK DOUGLASS

 

Chapter -10

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

An Excerpt from

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

 

Comprehension

I.

1) What prevented the slaves from knowing their birthdays?

Ans: The slaves were separated from their mothers as they were infants and they didn’t have any information about their date of birth. Therefore the slaves prevented from knowing their birthdays.

 

2) How would the master look at the enquiries about the slaves’ birthday?

Ans: The enquiries were inappropriate, insolent, and evidence of a restless spirit about the slaves’ birthday.

 

3) What was whispered about Douglass’ parentage?

Ans: Master was his father was whispered about Douglass’ parentage.

 

4) When was Douglass separated from his mother?

Ans: Douglass separated from his mother when he was an infant.

 

5) Douglass’ mother was able to meet him only at night. 

6) What was the penalty to the field hand for not being in the field at sunrise?

Ans: Whipping was the penalty to the field hand for not being in the field at sunrise.

 

7) How old was Douglass when his mother died?

Ans: Douglass was about seven years old when his mother died.

 

8) Name the person who was believed to be both Douglass’ father and master.

Ans: Captain Anthony was the person who believed to be both Douglass’ father and master.

 

9) What was Mr. Plummer?

Ans: Mr. Plummer was an overseer.

 

II.

1) Why wasn’t Douglass affected much by his mother’s death?

Ans: Douglass affected much by his mother’s death because Douglass describes to the pursuers with regards to how the childish individuals who utilized kids as slaves efficiently cut the kids from their foundations. The narrative of Douglass is the pitiable story of man's mercilessness conspiring against the normal methods of nature. He includes that it was the basic custom in that part of Maryland that the youngsters were in this manner isolated from their moms, upsetting the normal connection between the mother and the kid. He realizes that his mom was a person of color named Harriet Bailey from whom he was isolated when he was a newborn child. He had seen his mom just four or multiple times when she met him subsequent to strolling twelve miles from Mr. Stewart's place where she functioned as a field hand, and every one of these occasions was exceptionally short in span and around evening time. She must be back in the field before the dawn in the event that she needed to get away from the punishment of whipping from the slave driver. This left the mother and youngster almost no time and degree for correspondence. She would rests with him, and gets him to rest, however well before he woke she was no more. This is a miserable result in reality when we consider the way that the connection between a mother and a youngster is the most grounded and the most excellent obligation of all and it is unnatural for the child not to feel despondency at the loss of the mother. Douglass in this manner demonstrates that the repercussions of serfdom are more than what meets the eye and the mental measurements are far more regrettable than the monetary ramifications. He doesn't recall having ever observed his mom by the light of the day. The dismal result of this is that he doesn't recall much about his mom and when he lost her when he was around seven, he didn't feel the standard feelings of distress.

 

III.

1) What kind of hardships did the slaves suffer at the hands of the slaveholder and his mistress?

Ans: The slaves suffered at the hands of the slaveholder and his mistress as the mistress consistently criticized the slaves, especially the mulatto kids, and guaranteed that they went under the lash. At whatever point she associated her better half with indicating additional courtesies to his mulatto kids which he retained from other dark slaves, her resentment was much more and she constrained her significant other to sell this class of slaves. Hence we see that the slaves endured insufferable difficulties because of the slaveholder and his courtesan, and if the ace turned out to be the dad of the slave, the predicament of such a slave was much more terrible. In the event that he didn't, the ace needed to whip such slaves himself or see one of his children tie up and beat up his sibling.

 

2) How does the passage comment on the dreadful experience of slavery?

Ans: The frightful experience of subjection begins the exact moment a child is conceived. The child is isolated from the mother in its earliest stages, breaking the connection between the mother and the child. Even from that point onward, the mother isn't permitted to meet the kid regularly, and this again conflicts with the chance of building up a passionate bond. The child needs to endure the mental effect of not knowing who the dad is. The slaves are continually whipped by their slave drivers as well as others, for example, administrators and the slave driver's white youngsters. More terrible actually are the murmurs and hypotheses about who the conceivable dad is. These enthusiastic issues are exacerbated with physical badgering. The ladies are in a far more terrible circumstance. We can see that they are utilized by white men to satisfy their desire. Their predicament as field hands is pitiable. They can move out simply after dusk and must be once again grinding away at day break except if they have authorization from their lords. The references to the ones who have had their heads sliced and body totally wounded with the beatings given with the dairy animals’ skin are a declaration to the brutal treatment distributed to the slaves by their lords. The reality remains that their barbarous experts don't effectively give them such freedom.

 

3) In spite of the hardships he suffered as a slave, why does the author say, “Slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace”?

Ans: “Slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace”. The author comes out as a confident person who, notwithstanding unpleasant difficulties, actually has the expectation of emerging from the subjugation of bondage. He expresses gratitude toward God for giving him this persistence. However, we can see that it is the internal quality of the speaker who restricts the foul play of his state as well as the situation, all things considered. It is a result of such individuals who battled despite seemingly insurmountable opposition that the slaves got opportunity from serfdom. Being an observer to the sad predicament of his mom and the loathsome condition of his auntie probably fortified his purpose to emerge from the noose of subjugation.