Reading Frederick Douglass Discussion Guide
• Did the audience expect this speech?
• How are speeches important in society? What do they do?
The "one-word-from-all" method of starting the discussion:
Some Reading Douglass facilitators have found this method a good way to kick off an engaging conversation.
1. Take inventory: start the discussion by going around the room asking for one-word reactions to the reading of the speech. Keep track of some of them, and then return to the people whose one word seems interesting or provocative, or to sum up something, and ask them to explain.
2. When an interesting question or issue comes up, agree with the group to discuss that particular angle for a set amount of time, say five minutes, so that people can participate in that topic, rather than each taking a turn to say something they had in mind from the beginning.
In-depth discussion questions for smaller groups, or groups that have read something other than the speech:
• Look at the opening. How does Douglass characterize himself and his relationship with the audience? Why do you think he describes himself in those terms?
• Does Douglass stick to that (apologetic) tone, or does he change at some point? How would you explain how and why he changes?
• Does Douglass use "we" and "us" or "you"? If he changes, when does he address the audience as "you" and when does he talk about "us" and "we"? How would you explain this?
• If you were a member of the group of female abolitionists who had invited Douglass to give the speech, how might you feel about his criticism of the Founders and other parts of American history and life? Would you feel personally attacked, or would you agree with his attacks — or both?
• Why does Douglass attack the church, especially given the fact that many abolitionist groups were affiliated with churches? Was this dangerous, and if so, why did he do it?
• What parts of the speech do you find particularly powerful, and why? What would they make you feel or think about if you were a member of his audience when Douglass delivered this speech?
• In the 19th century, oratory was considered both a form of entertainment and a crucial element in public life. To be effective, oratory was expected to address the mind (presumably with information and logical arguments) as well as the imagination and heart (presumably
with images and ideas that made you feel a particular way) in order to convince the will (to take a particular action). What parts of this speech might have appealed to the mind and what parts to the heart? If most of his listeners were already abolitionists, what do you think
Douglass was trying to accomplish with respect to persuading them to take action?