"Self-Made Men" Questions

Which idea in paragraph 2 best supports the claim it is natural to believe in great men?

• We seek out the wisest and best man.
• Because of his identity, we seek out this man.
• On a colossal scale, the scale to which we would aspire
• We do believe in them and worship them.

According to paragraph 5, which phrase would Douglass most likely describe as a self-made man?

• A self-made man is truly self-made.
• A self-made man is made great because of mentors.
• A self-made man is not self-made.
• A self-made man is passionate, wise, and a leader.

Why is it unwise to worship a great man?

• It can provide a false prophet instead of an ideal one.
• It can provide false hope instead of an authentic one.
• It can provide sorrow and heartbreak.
• It can provide unrealistic expectations.

What is the main idea of this speech?

• Douglass uses a variety of analogies to convey what a self-made man is.
• Douglass answers Emerson’s questions about believing in great men.
• Douglass persuades others to believe that self-made men do not exist.
• Douglass describes the greatest self- made men of the time.

What is the main idea of paragraph 5?

• Self-made men should be respected.
• Individual independence is a thing of the past.
• Self-made men do not exist.
• Solecisms are impossible, therefore, so are self-made men.

What is the main idea of paragraph 6?

• It argues that men rely on their brothers to become the best version of themselves.
• It argues that men obtain their strengths and weaknesses generationally.
• It argues that men have only one direc- tion to go, which can cause their downfall.
• It argues that men are wealthy and full of character regardless of the generation before them.

In paragraph 1, Douglass compares men to a spider spinning his web. What purpose does this analogy serve as?

• The comparison forces readers to consider the details a spider puts into its web.
• The comparison poses a question about how simple a man is.
• The comparison suggests that man relies on another force in order to establish a society.
• The comparison reveals that man produces values, quirks, and institutions similar to a spider spinning its web.

What is the purpose of paragraph 8?

• It gives Douglass’s profession: a preacher.
• It tells the audience how his title is relevant to his purpose.
• It outlines Douglass’s content for the rest of his speech.
• It presents the purpose of his speech: to criticize a class of people.

What is the purpose of “enables man to take hold of the roughest and flintiest hardships” (paragraph 11)?

• It encourages men to be persistent regardless of their struggles.
• It encourages men to validate their failures.
• It demonstrates that not all men have the same challenges.
• It demonstrates that men must assert their authority over those that are lesser.

Does the following sentence use proper verb tense shift? Self-made men are the men who…have attained knowledge, usefulness, power, and position…

• No, the verb tense remains in present tense.
• Yes, the verb shifts from past to present.
• No, the verb tense remains in past tense.
• Yes, the verb tense shifts from present to past.