Question

Read this excerpt from My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass: She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these excellent qualities, and her home of its early happiness. Conscience cannot stand much violence. Once thoroughly broken down, who is he that can repair the damage? It may be broken toward the slave, on Sunday, and toward the master on Monday. It cannot endure such shocks. It must stand entire, or it does not stand at all. If my condition waxed bad, that of the family waxed not better. The first step, in the wrong direction, was the violence done to nature and to conscience, in arresting the benevolence that would have enlightened my young mind. Which of the following sentences best describes Douglass’s opinion about slavery?

1. Slavery degrades the slaveholder by killing his or her conscience.
2. Slavery prevents slave children from reaching their potential.
3.Slavery is degrading to both the slaveholder and the enslaved.
4. Slavery makes even the kindest people cruel and heartless.

Answer 1

A) Slavery degrades the slaveholder by killing his or her consciousness.

Consider the following from the text:

"Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these excellent qualities, and her home of its early happiness. Conscience cannot stand much violence."

Answer 2

The sentence that best describes Douglass’s opinion about slavery is "Slavery is degrading to both the slaveholder and the enslaved."

Step-by-step explanation:

This excerpts has lines that support the idea that "Slavery is degrading to both the slaveholder and the enslaved." such as "Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these excellent qualities, and her home of its early happiness" where we can see that this is affecting not only the slaves but also the people who interact with them sometimes making them insensible to others necessity or pain.