Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis - 930 Words

Well known slave author and orator, Frederick Douglass, in his narrative, â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave† alters the way people view slavery. Douglass’s purpose is to convince the audience that slavery should be abolished. He creates a haunting tone in order to persuade the readers that slavery is wrong. He uses many real life accounts of horrifying instances of beatings, murders and torture to prove that slavery is unjust. Douglass illustrates many emotions in his book, the most being anger and sympathy. â€Å"The children unable to work in the field had neither shoes, stockings, jackets, nor trousers, given to them; their clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts given per year. When these failed†¦show more content†¦William Lloyd Garrison, the author of the preface, brings up a very interesting story while trying to prove Douglass’s credibility. A white slave is a sure thing to keep anyone reading a book , because it is such an uncommon idea. A sailor who is sold into slavery comes back, and he can no longer speak english! His mental deterioration is so terrible, that the language he grew up speaking is foreign to him (Garrison 7). This little story plays to the audience because the slave they are talking about here is white and they can relate to him. It gives them more of a reason to feel bad about slavery, by showing that these horrible acts can happen to anyone, regardless of their skin color. When thinking about people in powerful positions, you often think about the people who were overrun with their power and were awful leaders. People who own slaves are kind of the same way. For example, in the narrative, Douglass mentions one of his mistresses, Mrs. Auld. When he meets her, its nothing but positive and happy things. She gets caught teaching him how to read and then she does a complete 180 and becomes meaner than her husband. This is a perfect example of someone having too m uch power for them to handle. On page 68, Douglass references the bible quote Luke 12:47. â€Å"The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour of which he is unaware. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place withShow MoreRelatedFrederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis905 Words   |  4 PagesNoted abolitionist Frederick Douglass, in his self titled slave narrative addresses the indescribable sadness that the slaves were experiencing, which they portrayed through song. He intensely describes the emotions that he hears within the songs of the slaves. In the passage Douglass shows how the slaves believe that they feel, versus how they really feel, and he does this this by changing the tone throughout the passage. He uses these tones to make the reader fully feel the helplessness that theRead MoreFrederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis885 Words   |  4 Pages In the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass† it sho ws 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. Read MoreFrederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis968 Words   |  4 Pagesorganized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe†- Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass is a remarkable figure when it comes to describe and expose the outcome of the oppression in the black race since memorable times seen and experienced through the centuries expressed in slavery, racism and mistreat. In â€Å"The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro†, Douglass states the values of not only a race but a human being in his speech, by allowing himself to representRead MoreFrederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis853 Words   |  4 Pagesof the ever-present mistreatment, corruption in positions of authority, and the dehumanization of minorities. The poor treatment of women and people of color is a main reason why these past issues are still present in the United States today. In Frederick Douglass’s speech given on July 5, 1852, he expresses his opinions of America’s Independence Day and how colored people have suffered only to remain captive and abused, not sharing in this independence with the rest of the country. He displays logosRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass866 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglass was an abolitionist, a human rights activist, and a former slave with a lot to say. July 4, 1852, a man was asked to speak at a Declaration signing commemoration event. This man, an African- American former slave steps up on stage and delivers a speech of the century, informing the white crowd of the slaves perspective on the celebration of freedom. In the speech, Douglass claims that the Fourth of July is a day of mourning for current and former slaves instead of the celebrationRead More Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis1793 Words   |  8 Pages In his memoir, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Frederick Douglass argues for the abolition of slavery by reminiscing on his life as a slave. He draws attention to the cruelties he and other slaves endure and compares it to the white masters’ humanity. To do so, Douglass also uses the irony of relationships and family in white masters but lack of recognition of such in the slaves. Furthermore, Douglass uses the irony of the use of religion in order to excuse slaveryRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass Speech838 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglass was a freed slave in the 1800’s who was famous for his ability to read and write, uncommon of a black man at the time. On July 4th, 1852, he gave a speech to citizens of the United States. In this speech, he called out the â€Å"hypocrisy of the nation†(Douglass), questioning the nations treatment of slav es on a supposed day of independence. Frederick Douglass effectively uses rhetorical strategies to construct his argument and expose the hypocrisy of the nation. One of the rhetoricalRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass Use Of Diction990 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglass’ use of Diction Frederick Douglass was a great author who used a variety of literary devices to contribute to his overall writing. One of his main literary elements that he uses is diction. What is diction? According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary diction is the way in which words are used in speech or writing. Douglass’ use of diction helps emphasize key point about slavery that writes about. Also, diction helps to convey the message that Douglass is writing about. DouglassRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis1050 Words   |  5 Pagesand hardship. But some, like the slave and later abolitionist Frederick Douglass, rose up from the tribulations of slavery and led the way for progress and change in America. In his autobiography â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†, Douglass tells his inspiring yet harrowing story of his life as a slave in Maryland and his escape to freedom in New York and later Massachusetts, where he eventuall y became an abolitionist. Douglass masterfully uses ethos, pathos, and logos to craft his powerfulRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass s Romeo And Juliet 1386 Words   |  6 PagesPathos et Logos Frederick Douglass uses both pathos and logos in his Narrative to push his argument against slavery by appealing to the audience’s idea of virtue and stating the harsh facts of the abuse. Douglass knows his audience well, and uses their intense feelings on Christianity to bolster his argument. His ethos is set up on the first page, as he is one that was directly abused through the process of slavery. Douglass uses the rest of the book to instill in the reader through his expert use