Writing an Analysis Paragraph with a Claim, Counterclaim, and Rebuttal

I. Analyze the Prompt

What does Douglass value?
Determine and explain Douglass’s point of view based on his word choice, claims, and evidence. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence, including
direct quotations. Use grade appropriate words and phrases, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

1. Underline the main task(s) and box other directions of the prompt.
2. Fill in the following statement:
I must write a paragraph that determines and explains Douglass’s point of view and how word choice, claims, and evidence contribute to the point
of view. I should include strong and through text evidence and use grade-appropriate words and phrases, grammar, punctuation, and spelling in
the paragraph.

II. Determine point of view and how word choice, claims, and evidence contribute to it

Douglass’s Point of View
Douglass believes learning to read
led him to pursue freedom from
slavery.
What claims support this point of
view?
Freedom of thought spurred the
desire for freedom from slavery.
What word choices support this What text evidence supports this
point of view? point of view?
“The more I read I was led to abhor “I was not about twelve years old,
and detest my enslavers.” (103) and the thought of being a slave for
“Freedom now appeared, to life began to bear heavily upon my
disappear no more forever… every heart.” (102)
storm” (103) ;(figurative language)
“The reading of these documents
enabled me utter my thoughts” (102)

“As I read and contemplated the

subject, behold! That very
discontentment which Master Hugh
had predicted would follow my
learning to read had already come, to
torment and sting my soul to
unutterable anguish.”(103)
“I nevertheless remembered their
advice, and from that time I resolved
to run away” (104)

Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451

 Douglass uses language that evokes strong emotions and
examples from his own life to develop his point of view that
learning to read led him to fight for his freedom.

“As I read and “Freedom now appeared, “The more I read, the
contemplated the subject,
to disappear no more more I was led to abhor
behold! That very
forever… every storm” and detest my
discontentment which
Master Hugh had predicted (103); (figurative enslavers.” (103)
would follow my learning to language)
read had already come, to
torment and sting my soul
to unutterable anguish.”
(103)

This shows that once

This shows that the This shows that the
Douglass learned to read,
he ha access to books and idea of freedom things Douglass read
ideas that he didn’t have consumed Douglass, led him to see that his
before. These books and leading him to realize master and mistress
ideas made him realize the
that he must escape. were wrong to
life he was missing out on
because he was enslaved. enslave him and keep
him from learning.

Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451

IV. Writing a Precise Claim
Sample:

Your claim

_Douglass________________ _utilizes_____________ _imagery and descriptive language

______ (author) _____ (type of language)
(strong verb)

And his knowledge from the books and other items he read
____________________________________________________________________________________________ to develop his point of view that
(type of claim)

his slave owners were criminals for how they treated the slaves.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(Douglass’s point of view)
Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451
V. Writing a counterclaim and rebuttal

Douglass values the innate quality of humans to persevere over obstacles.

Without the experiences and knowledge that books gave Douglass, he would not have had the
motivation to persevere and fight for his freedom from slavery.

“The reading of these documents
enabled me to utter my thoughts”
(102)
“They have tongue to interesting
thoughts of my own soul, which
had frequently lashed though my
mind, and died away for want of
utterance.” (102)
“The moral which I gained from
the dialogue was the power of
truth over the conscience of even
a slaveholder.” (102)

Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451

VI. Writing a Counterclaim and Rebuttal
Sample:

Your counterclaim and rebuttal:

Some might argue

That the slaveholders view of and treatment of slaves is
moral_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(counterclaim)

This is invalid because

without Douglass learning to read and understanding how he is supposed to be treated, he wouldn’t have realize his mater and mistress behavior was
wrong.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
(rebuttal)
Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451
VII. Writing the claim and counterclaim paragraphs
Claim paragraph
● Write the claim Use the claim you developed in Part IV of this handout.
● Include Evidence and Reasoning #1, #2, #3 Use the information you included in the graphic organizer in Part III of this handout.
Possible sentence stems for evidence:
● In the text it says, “____________.”
● For example, “______________.”
Possible sentence stems for reasoning:
● This shows that ____________.

Counterclaim paragraph
● Write the counterclaim Use the counterclaim you developed in Part VI of this handout.
● Write the rebuttal Use the rebuttal you developed in Part VI of this handout.
● Include Evidence #1, #2, #3 Use the information you included in Part V of this handout.

Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451

 Douglass utilizes imagery and descriptive language and his knowledge from the books and other items he read to develop his point of view that
his master and mistress were criminals for how they treated the slaves and their behavior. In the text it says, “I could regard them in no other light than a
band of successful robbers, who had left their homes and gone to Africa and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery.” (103)
This shows that once Douglass learned more about the abolitionist movement and the role of the slaveholders, he sees his master and mistress as
criminals. Another example would be, “treating me as if I were a brute” (100) “I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the most wicked of men.”
(103) These pieces of evidence show how the master and the mistress started treating Douglass as he was learning more about the abolitionist
movement.
Some might argue that the slaveholders view of and treatment of the slaves is moral. This is invalid because without Douglass’s knowledge of the
abolitionist movement and his understanding of how he was supposed to be treated, he wouldn’t have realized the treatment from his master and mistress was
wrong. In the text it says, “I have had her rush at me with a face made all up of fury, and snatch from me a newspaper.” (101) “She at first lacked the depravity
indispensable to shutting me up in mental darkness.” (100)

Grade 9: Fahrenheit 451