Topic: Human suffering in Narrative of the Life of a Slave.
Attitude towards theme: The attitude towards this theme is that Fredrick being rebellious is what has caused his human suffering.
3 Attitudes: ? I'm confused by what an attitude means. (Remember to ask about in class)
Alternative Attitude: Fredrick's suffering is not caused by rebellious action but, by his learning to read.
Question being posed: What does Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass say about human suffering?
If...Then: If Fredrick was not being rebellious then he would not be hurt as much. (ask about in class. how much is he looking for here; 1 page or 1 paragraph?)
Overarching thesis: If Fredrick Douglass had not been so rebellious all the time he would not have suffered as much as he did.
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Okay, in one specific instance involving Douglass and Mr. Covey, Douglass' rebelliousness could be said to be the cause of his suffering.
ReplyDeleteBut we're looking for universal themes here, big ideas that extend beyond the immediate experiences of Frederick Douglass. What is the Narrative saying about human suffering in general? Not just in the specific instances in the text.
You could say the text suggests rebellion causes human suffering.
Then keep going and ask further questions like why? and how?
Answers to these questions could provide main ideas.
The three attitudes you question above are the main ideas that constitute your answer to the central question.
The alternative attitude is going to reach the same level of generality as the answer to the question. It's going to transcend Frederick Douglass as an individual.
For the if... then... statement, we go back to the answer to the question: if one believes rebellion causes human suffering, then one might be subservient and encourage others to be subservient.
Notice the really big question that hasn't been addressed yet--is there any value in human suffering? Should it be avoided at all times or are there situations in which it is acceptable, even desirable?
The overarching thesis incorporates an alternative view, the answer to the question, and the essence of the if... then... statement.