English III. Ms. Savin. UNIT 3 Power, Protest & Change From What to the Slave on the Fourth of July by Frederick Douglass Savvas pp. 288-293 In your small group, work through the speech from the beginning to the end. For each paragraph, find examples of any rhetorical devices that the speaker uses and determine its effect, note examples of ethos, pathos and/or logos, and paraphrase what the speaker is saying in the paragraph. Each group must complete the chart and submit it to Google Classroom. Ethos, Pathos & Logos. Para. Translate Examples Rhetorical Devices 1. Douglass’ audience expects him to talk about liberty, freedom, and the greatness of America. However, he begins his speech with a series of rhetorical questions that begin to point …show more content…
Ms. Savin. UNIT 3 Power, Protest & Change From What to the Slave on the Fourth of July by Frederick Douglass Savvas pp. 288-293 In your small group, work through the speech from the beginning to the end. For each paragraph, find examples of any rhetorical devices that the speaker uses and determine its effect, note examples of ethos, pathos and/or logos, and paraphrase what the speaker is saying in the paragraph. Each group must complete the chart and submit it to Google Classroom. Ethos, Pathos & Logos. Para. Translate Examples Rhetorical Devices 1. Douglass’ audience expects him to talk about liberty, freedom, and the greatness of America. However, he begins his speech with a series of rhetorical questions that begin to point out the differences between the audience and the speaker by using the pronouns, your and us. Rhetorical Qs. -. “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence”? These questions serve to highlight the hypocrisy and irony of the white Abolitionists who have asked a former slave to speak about the 4th of July. 2 …show more content…
He points out the irony and mockery of having him as the speaker. Quote: “The sunlight that brought light and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. The Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice; I may mourn.” This sentence brings guilt and highlights the hypocrisy of the United States and the pointlessness of having a former slave talk. about the fourth of July and expect good words. He contrasts his men and the men of the United States using different pronouns and explaining the difference in treatment. 4. Douglas could relate to their hardships and used his own experiences to relate to slaves and former slaves, and again show the contrast between him and the white listeners. Quote: "I shall see this day and it’s popular characteristics from the slave’s point of view.” Frederick Douglas shows unity and empathy with the slaves and freed African Americans. 5. He calls for a recognition of the fundamental humanity and rights of all individuals, irrespective of race. He implores his listeners to take a stand against systemic oppression and to actively work towards dismantling the entrenched structures that uphold the dehumanization of enslaved
A decade prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, newly freed slave Fredrick Douglass was attempting to save a dying abolitionist movement. A gifted orator, Douglass used these 3 literary techniques to convey his point: A series of rhetorical questions designed to highlight the irony of slavery in a country of liberty, anaphora skillfully used to nail the slaves’ misfortune onto the country’s ideals of democracy and allusions in order to connect both slaves and slavers to their shared Christian values.
Many people were afraid of what would happen to society after the emancipation of the slaves and wondered if that emancipation was worth losing the lives of so many soldiers. Frederick Douglas gave what he believed to be a simple and obvious answer to the question of what should be done with the emancipated slaves once the war had ended in his article, “What Shall Be Done with the Slaves If Emancipated?” After emancipation, people were at a loss when it came to what to do with the black population, believing that “they would not work; they would become a burden upon the State, and a blot upon society” (Douglas 55). Douglas counters these fears by emphasizing the fact that black men will work for a living since work has been all they have known for their entire lives. Freed slaves were arguably the hardest working people of the time since they had no other choice than to do whatever work was thrown in front of their face, or else be severely punished. This is shown in this image as they work hard to do one of the most heart wrenching tasks possible: burying their fallen brothers. Douglas’ stance was clear- the freed black men and women were to be left alone to do what they felt they needed to do, without the interference of the white society. He argues that white people’s “doing with them [was] their great misfortune” and that “they have been undone by [their] doings” (Douglas 57). Douglas advocated that the answer to the question was obvious since the South needed black men to function. He states that the “black man as a freeman is a useful member of society. To drive him away, and thus deprive the South of his labor, would be… absurd and monstrous” (Douglas 59). This argument is shown through the picture- even though the men are free, they are still performing the hard work
After suffering the overwhelming ferociousness and inhumanity of being a slave for over two decades, a black man by the name of Fredrick Douglass fled from enslavement and began to make a concerted effort to advance himself as a human being. Combating many obstacles and resisting numerous temptations, Douglass worked assiduously to develop into a knowledgeable gentleman rather than the involuntary alternative of being an unenlightened slave. In doing so, Douglass successfully emerged as one of the Civil War era’s most prominent antislavery orators. From his first major public speech at the age of 23, Douglass became widely renowned as a premier spokesperson for Black slaves and the movement for the abolition of slavery. In one of Douglass’ most distinguished speeches, “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro,” he uses the intermittent occasion of speaking on behalf of African Americans to a multitude of White Americans to outline arguments against slavery.
Frederick Douglass’s speech was given to so many of his own people. The fact that Douglass speaks so harshly to them proves that he has passion for what he talks about through-out. “What to the slave is the Fourth of July”, compares and contrasts the different meanings the Fourth of July shared between Whites and African Americans. Douglass says “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim”. Frederick Douglass was not striving for the attention, he just wanted to get across that the Fourth of July is not a day of celebration to African Americans and the respect he shared with them, having once being a slave himself.
The concept of the Other is dominant in Frederick Douglass’s text “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”, for it determines the main conflict and illuminates the issue of intolerance and even blasphemy regarding the attitude of white Americans towards Negroes. The text was written as a speech to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and delivered at Rochester’s Corinthian Hall on July 5, 1852. It was a remarkable articulation of the Black people voice living in the United States of America at that point of time because Black people were going through too much humiliation on physical and moral levels (Andrews, 1991, p.46).
As a former slave, bereft of any free will, written words were all but unavailable to Frederick Douglass. Slaves were unable to tell their stories, to expose the dehumanization that their enslavement caused on both sides of the racial rift; so it was necessary for Douglass to fight tooth and nail to obtain the right to learn, and ultimately to narrate his own life story. Amongst the narration, multiple rhetorical strategies are integrated into the text in order to uncover the dehumanizing effect their mistreatment had on slaves during this time. His primary purpose is to educate those who are ignorant of the horrible conditions that slaves lived in and the cruelty that they suffer. He does this through the use of rhetorical devices such as anecdotes, irony and by further connecting to his audience with pathos and ethos. By using his own personal experiences as the subject of his argument, Douglass is able to make a strong and compelling case against slavery; at a time when it was socially unacceptable to do so.
Using the rhetoric devices of diction, imagery, and sentence structure, Queen Elizabeth gave a successful speech to the soldiers who stood before her at Tilbury. With her words, the troops were motivated and inspired to display their patriotism by fighting the incoming Spaniards.
n Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the 4th of July, he presents a simple yet morally complex argument. In his letter, Douglass states that it is hypocritical for a country to celebrate its freedom and separation from another country, yet still have slavery alive and well in the United States. Morally, this issue is a pretty straightforward argument and the very definition of hypocritical. Douglass also touches upon his belief that all men and women are equal, as stated in the constitution, yet slaves are subhuman. Another topic touched on is the contributing factors that perpetuate the constant and unjust nature of how slaves are treated, such as religion, agricultural, and over all demeanor towards slaves.
The effectiveness and excellent structure of Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech is apparent. His rhetorical arguments served as powerful rebuts to opposing contentions and forced his audience to consider the undeniable error in their nation’s policy and approach regarding slavery. Douglass also compelled his audience to take his words seriously by establishing his credibility, recognizing his audience, and skillfully constructing and executing his speech. The end product of his efforts became a provocative speech at the time and a historical delivery in the future. Douglass succeeded in giving a speech that clearly and effectively argued the absurdity of the institution of slavery in America, leaving it up to his audience to consider his position and decide for themselves how to act in the future.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, brings to light many of the social injustices that colored men, women, and children all were forced to endure throughout the nineteenth century under Southern slavery laws. Douglass's life-story is presented in a way that creates a compelling argument against the justification of slavery. His argument is reinforced though a variety of anecdotes, many of which detailed strikingly bloody, horrific scenes and inhumane cruelty on the part of the slaveholders. Yet, while Douglas’s narrative describes in vivid detail his experiences of life as a slave, what Douglass intends for his readers to grasp after reading his narrative is something much more profound. Aside from all the physical burdens of slavery that he faced on a daily basis, it was the psychological effects that caused him the greatest amount of detriment during his twenty-year enslavement. In the same regard, Douglass is able to profess that it was not only the slaves who incurred the damaging effects of slavery, but also the slaveholders. Slavery, in essence, is a destructive force that collectively corrupts the minds of slaveholders and weakens slaves’ intellects.
While writing about the dehumanizing nature of slavery, Douglass eloquently and efficiently re-humanize African Americans. This is most evident throughout the work as a whole, yet specific parts can be used as examples of his artistic control of the English language. From the beginning of the novel, Douglass’ vocabulary is noteworthy with his use of words such as “intimation […] odiousness […] ordained.” This more advanced vocabulary is scattered throughout the narrative, and is a testament to Douglass’ education level. In conjunction with his vocabulary, Douglass often employed a complex syntax which shows his ability to manipulate the English language. This can be seen in Douglass’ self-description of preferring to be “true to [himself], even at the hazard of incurring ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur [his] own abhorrence.” This is significant because it proves that Douglass can not only simply read and write, but he has actually obtained a mastery of reading and writing. This is a highly humanizing trait because it equates him in education level to that of the stereotypical white man, and how could one deny that the white man is human because of his greater education? It is primarily the difference in education that separates the free from the slaves, and Douglass is able to bridge this gap as a pioneer of the
In the speech, “what to the slave is the Fourth of July?” which Fredrick Douglass gave he emphasized how the fourth of July is not a celebration to the slaves but an insult and ridicule. Douglass uses logos and pathos to make the audience understand his point of view and how this so called “independence day’’ is for whites only because the black people in America are still slaves , which in turn means they can’t celebrate this day. Using these rhetoric’s he conveys his point on how this day is adds insult to injury.
Unit 3 WATCH Video Paragraph: " Frederick Douglass and his writing are important today because Douglass helped bring about tremendous changes, many of which are seen in today’s society. For example, Douglass brought support to the Union Army, fought for women’s rights, and advocated for the rights of Black people. Now, many decades after the Union Army won, both women and Black people have more rights, and there is no doubt that Douglass’s words were a contributing factor in the social attitudes surrounding both of these civil rights issues. Douglass delivered a strong written representation of life as a slave and as a free man during his lifetime. These accounts are important to read and listen to today because they provide direct context
In the Autobiography, “Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglas: An American Slave,” Fredrick Douglas writes to show what the life of a slave is like, because from personal experience, he knows. Fredrick Douglas not only shows how his life has been as a slave but shows what it is like to be on the bottom and be mistreated. Douglas shows that freedom isn’t free, and he took the initiative to become a free man. Not many African-Americans had the opportunity to make themselves free and were forced to live a life of disparity and torture. Through his experience Douglas shows us the psychological effects of slavery. Through Douglas’s memory we are able to relive the moments that continued to haunt his life. Douglas’s book showed the true
Takira Rice November 10, 2016 American History Dr. Williams What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? What to the Slave is the Fourth July?” by Frederick Douglass it expresses the irritation stirred up between the examples of the United States and the reality we witness on a day to day basis. Between the Bill of Rights and the decline of our civil liberties and human rights we are in tough reality.