The use of figurative language is what made the novel most effective in persuading the reader because in Douglass’s anecdotes the use of parallelism, repetition, and metaphors is what made the reader imagine the cruelty of slavery and live his feelings through words. Douglass discusses the effect of going to Baltimore by saying if he would have not been removed from the plantation. He uses the metaphor “Been confined in the galling chains of slavery” (15) and “The white men were on horseback, and the colored ones were walking behind, as if tied.” (37) to make the reader picture, think, and analyse what he went through. He uses this to specifically make the reader obligate himself to view many perspectives of his situation and its horrors.
At first glance, the book “my bondage and my freedom by Frederick Douglass appeared to be extremely dull and frustrating to read. After rereading the book for a second time and paying closer attention to the little details I have realized this is one of the most impressive autobiographies I have read recently. This book possesses one of the most touching stories that I have ever read, and what astonishes me the most about the whole subject is that it's a true story of Douglass' life. “ Douglass does a masterful job of using his own experience to expose the injustice of slavery to the world. As the protagonist he is able to keep the reader interested in himself, and tell the true story of his life. As a narrator he is able to link those experiences to the wider experiences of the nation and all society, exposing the corrupting nature of slavery to the entire nation.”[1] Although this book contributes a great amount of information on the subject of slavery and it is an extremely valuable book, its strengths are overpowered by its flaws. The book is loaded with unnecessary details, flowery metaphors and intense introductory information but this is what makes “My Bondage and My Freedom” unique.
Frederick Douglass wrote in his 1845 autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, about the devastation associated with slavery and the destruction from which comes desperation. Douglass intends to summon upon the guilt and empathy of his white audience by giving an account from which the reader is able to coax up a new perspective on the dreadful oppression. Seen especially in the third paragraph where Douglass provides a series of rhetorical devices including: apostrophe, anaphora, personification, exemplum, and epithet in his sorrowful bellowing to passing ships.
In the following excerpt from the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, the third paragraph is distinguished from the rest of the passage due to the immediate shift of attitude, and exhibiting a somewhat of an ebullience through this hopeful vision of becoming forever free, which is effectively displayed by his use of figurative language and short and concise like syntax.
Frederick Douglass, an African American social reformer who escaped from slavery, in his autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself,” denotes the perilous life of a slave in the South. Through syntax, Douglass is able to persuade his readers to support the abolitionist movement as his writing transitions from shifting sentence lengths to parallel structure and finally to varying uses of punctuation. Douglass begins his memoir with a combination of long and short sentences that serve to effectively depict life his life as a slave. This depiction is significant because it illustrates the treatment of slaves in the south allows his audience to despise the horrors of slavery. In addition, this
It’s important to literature because if the reader didn’t have the perspective of an actual slave, nobody would know what slavery actually did. Literature is written in many ways and styles. During his time, Frederick Douglass’s works and speeches attracted many people’s attention. With the amount of works and speeches Douglass has given, it has influenced many other writers to express themselves more freely. Though Douglass lived a rigorous childhood, he still made it the best that he could, with the guidance and teaching of one of his slave owner’s wife he was able to read and write, thus allowing him to share his life stories and experiences.
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass written by Frederick Douglass himself is a brutally honest portrayal of slavery's dehumanizing capabilities. The style of this famous autobiography can be best described as personal, emotional, and compelling. By writing this narrative, Douglass wants his audience to understand him. He does this by speaking informally like a person would when writing a letter or telling a story to a friend. By clearly establishing his credibility and connecting with his audience, Douglass uses numerous rhetorical devices to argue for the immorality of slavery.
Slavery in North America flourished for over 245 years, having the first African American slave auctioned off in 1619. It was not until December 6, 1865 that the United States abolished slavery under the ratification of the thirteenth amendment. Before their liberation, African American slaves were treated brutally and were restricted access to any sources of education. Although education was illegal for slaves, several African Americans like Frederick Douglass, secretly learned from their masters in realization that education was the only source to freedom. Through the use of a few select rhetorical devices, Douglass effectively characterizes the importance of knowledge in a slave-holding society in his autobiography, “From Narrative of the
In this story there are 2 types of slavery; slavery of the mind and slavery of the body. Through the text Douglass is seen to overcome the enslavement of the mind but knew the enslavement of the body was what he
The tone established in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is unusual in that from the beginning to the end the focus has been shifted. In the beginning of the narrative Douglass seems to fulfill every stereotypical slavery theme. He is a young black slave who at first cannot read and is very naïve in understanding his situation. As a child put into slavery Douglass does not have the knowledge to know about his surroundings and the world outside of slavery. In Douglass’ narrative the tone is first set as that of an observer, however finishing with his own personal accounts.
The reader is first introduced to the idea of Douglass’s formation of identity outside the constraints of slavery before he or she even begins reading the narrative. By viewing the title page and reading the words “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written by himself” the reader sees the advancement Douglass made from a dependent slave to an independent author (Stone 134). As a slave, he was forbidden a voice with which he might speak out against slavery. Furthermore, the traditional roles of slavery would have had him uneducated—unable to read and incapable of writing. However, by examining the full meaning of the title page, the reader is introduced to Douglass’s refusal to adhere to the slave role of uneducated and voiceless. Thus, even before reading the work, the reader knows that Douglass will show “how a slave was made a man” through “speaking out—the symbolic act of self-definition” (Stone 135).
Fredrick Douglass used figurative language, in The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, to reflect his sentiments about his enslaved conditions. Douglass is able to maneuver his writing to reflect his emotions and beliefs about his state of enslavement; more specifically by utilizing: imagery, diction, and selection of detail. The use of these devices helps to establish what he went through during slavery. As Douglass tells his story he purposely includes – and excludes – certain details to help conceptualize what he went through and what his sentiments were during this time period. It is true that Douglass uses many literary devices throughout the text; however, Fredrick Douglass used imagery, diction, and selection of detail to display
Reader Response: In this chapter, Douglass speaks about his relationship with his mother, and the possible whereabouts of his father. He pleas to our pathos by detailing the “whispers” of the possibility of his master being his dad. He reveals the way slaves are treated, and the lack of knowledge they are given about their life. For instance, Douglass mentions he is unaware of his birthday or exact age. He also includes a brutal description of the first time he witnessed someone being beat, and the blood. We as readers feel sympathy for the terrible inhumane upbringing that he and other slaves face.
In, “The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass”, readers get a first person perspective on slavery in the South before the Civil War. The author, Frederick Douglass, taught himself how to read and write, and was able to share his story to show the evils of slavery, not only in regard to the slaves, but with regard to masters, as well. Throughout Douglass’ autobiography, he shares his disgust with how slavery would corrupt people and change their whole entire persona. He uses ethos, logos, and pathos to help establish his credibility, and enlighten his readers about what changes needed to be made.
Why should the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” by Frederick Douglass be included in the American Literature anthology? Everyone has his or her story to tell and a specific way to transcribe their thoughts into their story. What qualities does Douglass’s story possess that allows it to be showcased in the American Literature anthology? Frederick Douglass was an accomplished author who wrote about his fight for freedom. The short story outlines the first six months to a year of Douglass’s life as a slave. The “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” was chosen to be published in the American Literature anthology because of the captivating way in which Douglass describes his life as a slave and the sheer determination of how he gained his freedom.
America in the mid to early nineteenth century saw the torture of many African Americans in slavery. Plantation owners did not care whether they were young or old, girl or boy, to them all slaves were there to work. One slave in particular, Frederick Douglass, documented his journey through slavery in his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Through the use of various rhetorical devices and strategies, Douglass conveys the dehumanizing and corrupting effect of slavery, in order to show the overall need for American abolition. His use of devices such as parallelism, asyndeton, simile, antithesis, juxtaposition and use of irony, not only establish ethos but also show the negative effects of slavery on slaves, masters and