Question

Read this excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass. It was a most terrible spectacle.
What is the meaning of the figurative language in this passage?
• There was a gate with blood on it at the plantation where Douglass lived
• Being enslaved was the worst experience imaginable.
• Douglass had to go through great pain during his escape from slavery.
• Douglass was spared the worst kinds of physical torture that other enslaved people faced

Answer 1

The figurative language in this passage conveys a powerful sense of the horrors of slavery. The phrase "blood-stained gate" symbolizes the violence and suffering inherent in the system of slavery. The description of it as "the entrance to the hell of slavery" emphasizes the extreme brutality and dehumanization that enslaved individuals faced. Therefore, the most fitting interpretation of the figurative language in this passage is:

• Being enslaved was the worst experience imaginable.

This interpretation captures the overall tone of dread and despair that Douglass conveys about the reality of slavery.