Question

Reread this passage from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.
He said, "If you give a slave an inch, he will take a mile. A slave should know nothing but to obey his master--to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best slave in the world.

What is the connotative meaning of spoil, as it is used in this passage?

A. cause someone to expect more than he or she has earned
B. slightly reduce the usefulness of something used often
C. increase the positive qualities in something rarely used
D. turn something really good into something totally worthless

Answer 1

It’s most Likly it’s d. D should be your answer

Answer 2

Answer: D: Turn something really good into something totally worthless

Explanation: "Learning would spoil the best slave in the world" We know slaves were used to do peoples' bidding and such. Being the "best" slave is doing nothing but obeying what you're being told. If the slave were to learn more than just obey, it would "spoil" how good the slave is obeying his or her master's orders.