Reference no: EM132369359
Assignment : Reading Reflection Essay
The Power of Reading and Writing:"Why I Learned to Read and Write" Selection from The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave (Chapter VII), 1845
Douglass' background
Former slave
Became one of the most articulate spokesmen for the abolitionist cause
Advisor to Abraham Lincoln
Fought for rights and equality under the law for blacks, women, etc.
Served in various political positions such as the Recorder of Deeds in the District of Columbia and the United States Minister to Haiti
What effect did hearing a former slave speak so eloquently about the evils of slavery have on the American people?
Quote from William Lloyd Garrison's Preface to Douglass' autobiography:
"I shall never forget his first speech at the convention--the extraordinary emotion it excited in my own mind--the powerful impression it created upon a crowded auditory, completely taken by surprise--the applause which followed from the beginning to the end of his felicitous remarks. I think I never hated slavery so intensely as at that moment; certainly, my perception of the enormous outrage which is inflicted by it, on the godlike nature of its victims, was rendered far more clear than ever.
There stood one, in physical proportion and stature commanding and exact--in intellect richly endowed--in natural eloquence a prodigy--in soul manifestly "created but a little lower than the angels"--yet a slave, ay, a fugitive slave,--trembling for his safety, hardly daring to believe that on the American soil, a single white person could be found who would befriend him at all hazards, for the love of God and humanity!
Capable of high attainments as an intellectual and moral being--needing nothing but a comparatively small amount of cultivation to make him an ornament to society and a blessing to his race--by the law of the land, by the voice of the people, by the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property, a beast of burden, a chattel personal, nevertheless!"
Douglass Paragraph: Leading Ideas
Reinforces the power and importance of education
Account gives hope
The importance of using spare time wisely
The power of determination
Testimony of man's potential to achieve a goal regardless of adversity
Reflection Essay
A response paper is your chance to communicate in writing your personal viewpoint and personal learning as they relate specifically to the book, essay, paper, article, etc. in question and the ideas and values contained therein.
A good response paper will artfully make a connection between the subject at hand and your own experience. A response paper is intended to be a transformative experience.
The text, the artifact alone, has no meaning; it is given meaning by the reader. You are being asked to transform the new experience into a context that is meaningful to you, born of the interaction of reader's and writer's meanings.
A response essay is not:
A Book Review - ( I really enjoyed ... )
A rehashing of the story - ( this happened, then that happened)
Academic - Academic Voice
I know the story....
Values
Concepts
Belief systems
First, what are the values, concepts, and belief systems that the author is talking about;
Second, reflect on this
Third, describe the outcome.
How does the authors story and your story interweave?
In short...
l. What (meanings, values, etc.) was the author trying to promote?
2. What is my personal position relative to the author's 3. How has reading and reflecting on this affected my lived world experience?
Home Work Questions
Why did most slaveholders believe that "education and slavery were incompatible with one another"?
What were some of the various stratagems that Douglass used to learn to read and write?
What effect did Douglass' education have on him as a slave? How does this re-enforce the view of the slaveholders that slavery and education are incompatible?
Does Douglass's account of his struggles to become educated show us anything about our own views and actions regarding education?
Instructions
1. Rubric :
a. State your position on the topic
b. Describe the points in support, including your position and other evidence
c. Anticipate and address readers' concerns and arguments against your position
d. Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization (1 point each)
e. Formatting (3 points each)
2. Paper Guidelines
a. Paper should not exceed 2 pages
b. Times New Roman, 12 pt. font
c. Double Spaced. Do not add spaces between paragraphs
d. 1 inch margins all around. This is not the automatic setting for Word. Pay Attention!
e. Stapled upper left hand corner
f. References in APA - parenthetical citations. YOU DO NOT NEED A BIBLIOGRAPHY.
g. Heading - upper left corner - Single Spaced
i. Title
ii. Name
iii. Date
iv. Instructor's Name
v. Class
vi. Class Date and Time
3. Proofread and Edit.
4. Revise - Have you used specific details?
a. Have you answered the questions?
b. Do you have topic sentences?
c. Does the ending contain a clear call to action?
d. Did you include transitional words and phrases?
Attachment:- Frederick Douglass.rar