Discussion Post: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
Prompt:
Dante's Inferno describes an imaginary trip to hell, and he places certain individuals in lower reaches (e.g., Brutus for killing Julius Caesar). Look at Frederick Douglass's owners and overseers. Who would you place in the lower regions of hell? Can any of them be saved?
Format
Title
In The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), wrote of an imaginary trip through hell and heaven. In his vision, he considered the most evil persons who would go to hell. Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) did not have to imagine hell: he lived it as a slave in Maryland. Looking at Douglass's life, we might imagine the individuals he met, and can consider whether they have been consigned to the nether world.
Douglass offers fascinating insights into a terrible chapter in our history. "My father was a white man," Douglass wrote. "The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father (p. 17)."
The response must include a reference list. One-inch margins, double-space, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.