Silent Reading, 20 min

Realists

• Finish introduction (textbook, goldenrod sheet)
• Watch short video clip with introductory questions:

1. What obstacles did African Americans and women share during the Realist period of American history?
2. What work/actions were required to overcome these obstacles?
3. What gave African Americans and women the courage to oppose these obstacles? What did they risk by doing so?

Frederick Douglass, "The Battle with Mr. Covey," p. 465.

• Read the selection.
• Answer the following questions:

1. Based on the account, how would you characterize the young Frederick Douglass?
   
2. Explain the metaphor implied in this line: "[The battle with Covey] rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom." How is the metaphor related to the idea of rebirth?
3. At the end of the selection, Douglass distinguishes between being "a slave in form" and "a slave in fact." How does this distinction support the theme of the selection?
4. Think about Douglass' purpose in writing this narrative. Consider Douglass' style, including his objectivity and restraint in describing painful incidents. How does Douglass win over an audience that might be uneasy at the idea of a black man's fighting a white man?

Hand in three questions from the video introduction and questions from Frederick Douglass.