Vetock: Vetock Writing Assignments

The Assignment

Essay #3 allows you to explore the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in a deeper context. Douglass shows firsthand the effects of slavery and the hypocrisy of slave owners.

• Take a position on any ideas or details you find interesting in his autobiography
• Ideas can range from the text itself to themes in today's world
• You'll provide a focus or a thesis on this topic arguing for meaning 

Library Goals

Research doesn't have to be scary if you follow these steps:

• Define your topic
• Explore and find early research library resources in books and articles
• Cite at least 4 resources

Start: Defining Your Topic

What topics could I explore?

• aspects of Frederick Douglass
• historical value of the text
• political viewpoints (voting laws, immigration, healthcare)
• racism/ethnic oppression or critical race theory or slavery or the underground railroad
• psychological approaches (physical or mental abuse, familial relationships, groupthink)
• scientific or health related approaches (alcoholism, abortion)
• religious aspects
• character, event, or theme analysis (see ENL 111 Handbook for a list of characters)
• literary perspective analysis (feminist, racial, african american lit, etc.)
• a cultural approach (NFL kneeling or BLM movement)
• any ideas of your own approved by your instructor