Name _______________________________________ Date ______________ Period ___________
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Anecdotes, Irony, and Maxims--A Closer Look
1. Define ​anecdotes​.
2. Identify some ​anecdotes ​that you find in chapters 3 and 4 of Douglass’s ​ ​Narrative.
3. What is the effect of Douglass’s use of ​anecdotes​ in
​ his ​Narrative?
4. Define ​irony​.
5. What is ​ironic​ about Colonel Lloyd’s treatment of his horses compared to the
treatment of his slaves?
6. Why is Mr. Austin Gore a “first-rate overseer”? What is the ​irony​ of this description of
him? What is ​ironic​ about his name?
7. How does using ​irony​ affect the reader’s interpretation or understanding of
Douglass’s ​Narrative?
8. Define ​maxim.
9. Interpret the following ​maxims​:
●
“a still tongue makes a wise head” (Douglass 16)
●
“It is better that a dozen slaves suffer under the lash, than that the overseer
should be convicted, in the presence of the slaves, of having been at fault”
(Douglass 18)
10. What is the purpose
​
of Douglass using ​maxims​ like these in his ​Narrative?
Create your own maxim about your own life.
Personal Maxim:
Meaning: