(Douglass 1) Douglass seems to see this as a disadvantage and goes on to say how it made him feel unidentified in a way, not knowing his own age. He also feels and notes the separation between him and the white children. This means maybe if the white children didn’t know their ages then maybe Douglass wouldn’t feel so doubtful about his identity. Maybe age would be none but a trivial number to him. Douglass guesses his age as “between twenty-seven and twenty-eight” meaning this problem bothered him so much he felt the need to make a guess.
2 “Mr. Severe was rightly named…”
(Douglass 8) He points out the ironic relationships between names and corresponding personalities repeatedly not only with Mr. Severe but with Mr. Gore and Mr. Freeholder as well. He’s very meticulous and thorough in naming all of the characters he mentions as well, adding to the detail of the narrative and helping the audience piece together visions and personalities of his characters more accurately.
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Severe’s short, austere life. Douglass also describes all of Mr. Severe’s actions in a harsh and callous way: “cursing, raving, cutting, cutting and slashing…in the most frightful manner.” He puts Severe in a demonic light; as someone who causes pain for no reason but his own pleasure and amusement, “He seemed to take pleasure in manifesting his fiendish barbarity.” Douglass also repeatedly uses the phrase “horrid oaths.” I’m not sure for what purpose though… maybe for