Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

How does Fredrick Douglass make an effective argument against slavery? Book, "The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass", by Fredrick Douglass, Fredrick was a slave practically most of his childhood. Fredrick Douglass talk about his ups and downs, and really explain how slavery is unmoral, and unjust. Slavery caused god people to do really bad things. In reality, being more religious cause the master to be even more cruel. Fredrick considered the worst slave owners to be more religious people. Fredrick Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos to support his argument against slavery.

Douglass uses vivid imagery to depict the gruesome and ungodly nature of slavery. For example, in chapter six, Douglass describes the death of his grandmother “…She stands-she sits-she staggers-she falls-she groans-she dies-and there are none of her children or grandchildren present, to wipe from her wrinkled brow the cold sweat of death…” (59) This quote helps the reader imagine the grandmothers death and how helpless she felt. The fact that the slaveholders made it impossible for her children to be there when she died, contributes to the inhumane image Douglass has already been painting throughout the

In the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, written by himself, the author argues that slaves are treated no better than, sometimes worse, than livestock. Douglass supports his claim by demonstrating how the slaves were forced to eat out of a trough like pigs and second, shows how hard they were working, like animals. The author’s purpose is to show the lifestyle of an American slave in order to appeal to people’s emotions to show people, from a slave’s perspective, what slavery is really like. Based on the harsh descriptions of his life, Douglass is writing to abolitionist and other people that would sympathize and abolish slavery.

To continue his persuasion, Douglass uses selection of detail and different tones to make his view known. When describing some aspects of slavery, Douglass’ use of detail opens society’s eyes to injustice. In one case, when describing the whipping of his Aunt Hester, he includes details that encompass sight- “the warm, red blood… came dripping to the floor,” sound- “amid heart-rending shrieks,” and emotion- “I was so horror-stricken… I hid myself in a closet” (Douglass, 24). By including facts covering many senses, he provides the reader a chance to piece together the scene, giving them perspective. If society has all the details, it becomes easier for them to pass an accurate judgment of slavery. His detail, or lack thereof,

Frederick Douglass uses pathos to draw empathy from the readers throughout the book. He does this by giving his own personal experiences with extensive detail. Beginning the book with information about his mother, father, and his birth. He quotes, “ My mother and I were seperated when I was but an infant-before I knew her as my mother.

Douglass uses pathos to describe life as a slave. Page 12 states “ The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them”.” He uses strong words to build an emotional connection to reader describing how the songs of slavery affect him. He uses Logos when he explains the amount of physical pain slaves experience. Page 21 states “ Breaking her nose and breastbone with a stick, so that the poor girl expired in a few hours afterward. “ This is a logical explanation that the overseer Mr. Gore was a cruel and merciless man. Douglass uses Ethos almost throughout the entire book because he establishes credibility when he describes his life as a slave. Page 1 explains “ I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. “ Slaves were never given their real birth date, so Frederick Douglass never knew his accurate

In the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” it shows all 3 rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) which are found in all forms of writing, speeches, movies, television shows, and life within itself. Frederick Douglass used all three of these rhetoric in the narrative to tell about both his life as an American slave and his cause over ten decades ago. He uses these devices to identify himself to the readers, to bring emotion out of the readers, and to persuade the readers.

Douglass establishes his credibility of being an actual slave with the audience in order to be convincing that he is a primary source of the horrific events of slavery. Douglass writes, “I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress…” (46). A slave could once in awhile get a nice slave owner, as Douglass did, and they would cherish them because it was such a rarity. By establishing the fact that he was enslaved in his younger years Douglass proves to the reader that he is a credible source. Douglass also proves himself to be a reliable source as a slave by writing, “the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their

Throughout the narration, Douglass has tried to maintain the flow using the techniques of realism and irony in order to present his themes. The reader can observe his helplessness for misery of the slaves from the quoted incidents. For example in the very first chapter, Douglass recalls the incident of his Aunt Hester who is

For a man that was brought up not knowing his birthday, beaten for wanting to learn, and tortured for not perfectly completing the task asked by his master, he; Frederick Douglass had the ability to write an articulate novel explaining in detail, the hardships of being a slave. In the novel, it is prevalent that Douglass came from nothing and reinvented himself into an affluent abolitionist and writer. Rhetorical devices furthered Douglass’s argument by making it known that the way he writes and speaks has no effect on the torture and violence he endured. Also the rhetorical devices added emphasis that the subject of slavery matters.

The purpose of the passage written by Fredrick Douglas is to illustrate the internal and external struggles of a slave that are revealed through the duality of emotions that are being exhibited.

Through the use of various anecdotes, Frederick Douglass illustrates the brutality suffered by the slave; the reader reacts emotionally to these incidents. For instance when Douglass talks about how the slaves are beaten and mistreated he discusses a slave who was shot since he refused to obey his master: ”and in an instant poor Demby was no more. His mangled body sank out of sight”(39). In this quote Douglass shows how mistreated the slaves were and makes the reader feel sad that a slave would be shot before given another chance to listen to his master. Also he makes us feel anger at the master that after an instant of disobeying the master's a slave would be killed and the body would be left to just sink down into the water. Similarly,

Slavery is a horrible condition. In the Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass tells his story of growing up as a slave and then becoming a freeman. Douglass speaks of the horrors of slavery and the beauty of freedom. Douglass uses figures of speech, diction, and repetition to convey his feelings of excitement, insecurity and loneliness on escaping from slavery and arriving in New York in 1838.

In the male narrative by Frederick Douglass he is persuading the reader by using pathos. Douglass describes his beating and how helpless he left when he was he was a slave. He describes how every kick could be felt and every drop of blood could be heard. He is worked until his breaking point and then was beat for stopping. The master wouldn’t tolerate stopping even if it was for the good of Douglass’s health. The female narrative by Harriet Jacobs represents having to leave behind her children to set them free. Jacobs has abandon her eight and five year old children to eventually save them. Females can never truly be free because they have to take care of their family and be selfless, but males can put themself first with no consequences.

Throughout American history, mankind has made arguments about race, whether its about who had it worse or who paved the way for equality. This situation comes into play when it comes to the story of escaped slave, Frederick Douglas. Frederick was a wide known and well traveled abolitionist. Many people in the north became abolitionists, as well as some white southerners along with the slaves and freed POC. Many have credited slavery being abolished to the white abolitionists rather than the strong POC and slaves that helped fight for abolition. Frederick Douglas was different from the white abolitionists in a way that, if a reader were to look at a white abolitionist’s reason for abolishing slavery it would all be because they found it cruel,