Question

read this quotation from narrative of the life of frederick douglass.
\i received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions i should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.\
which sentence best describes douglass’s attitude about his mother’s death?
douglass feels disconnected from his mother because she abandoned him as a baby.
douglass feels indifferent about his mother’s death because he never got to know her.
douglass is removed from his feelings but is still upset by his mother’s passing.
douglass is afraid to let his feelings come out because it will unleash a torrent of emotion.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the quote and each option:

• The quote says Douglass felt about his mother’s death like he would a stranger’s.
• Option 1: The quote doesn’t mention abandonment, so eliminate.
• Option 2: “Indifferent” matches feeling like a stranger’s death, and “never got to know her” aligns with the context of their relationship (common in Douglass’s narrative).
• Option 3: “Still upset” contradicts the “stranger” emotion (no indication of upset). Eliminate.
• Option 4: No mention of fear of emotions. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. Douglass feels indifferent about his mother’s death because he never got to know her.