Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

by Ruthie Watson and Katie Victor

Hour 7

In the novel Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, how is education rated to human freedom?

Why was Douglass' narrative considered "radical" when published? Is it still?

Why is universal education necessary for a free society?

How does Frederick Douglass use rhetoric throughout his narrative to illustrate the evils of slavery? According to Douglass, what were some of the effects of slavery upon the enslaved? Upon the slaveholder?

To what extent was Frederick Douglass able to change the national set of values through his individual actions?

How does Frederick Douglass use rhetoric throughout his narrative to promote the ideals of freedom?

Question 6

How did the South justify slavery?

Though his works may not be considered "radical" for today's times, in Douglass' times they were extremely controversial. It was unheard of for a slave to be educated enough to write a whole novel. It also showcased beautifully what went on on plantations. It highlighted the horrors of slavery (something unique for the time). This book was the very definition of radical because he shows how mistreated slaves were. "I did not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday" shows how much they were deprived of (ch. 1). This personal narrative is considered radical because it challenged the ideas of the time and the moral standards of the nation.

Question 7

The south based the arguments for slavery on the economy. They argued that without slaves, the southern plantations would die off and the American economy would crumble. "The sudden end to the slave economy would have a profound impact in the south." Some plantation owners and slave masters used God as a justification. They used Biblical references to the story of Ham to show that God meant for slavery to be moral.

Question 1

Question 4

Question 3

With education, humans become more aware of human injustices and ignorance in the world. Education is the biggest tool in breaking down the walls of intolerance. As Douglass furthers his education he grows more and more aware of the social injustice found in his world. As people grow more educated, they can break down racism, sexism, clasism, homophobia and so on. Only with education can America live up to its constitution- only then can all humans be free.

Question 5

Frederick sees freedom as a god-send. He spends much of his life comparing his life as a slave to that of a white man. He says, "You are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I am fast in my chains, and am a slave!" reiterating his comparisons (ch. 10).

Question 2

Works Cited

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Question 1 (cont.)

Throughout the novel, Douglass constantly compares slaves to animals. For example, Frederick Douglass relates how Colonel Lloyd values his horses far more than he does his slaves. "There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were all subjected to the same narrow examination" illustrates this point further (ch. 8).

Question 1 (cont.)

Frederick Douglass had a big impact on the world. He taught us that slave holding is wrong and that everybody is equal. Douglass was a strong speaker and very persuasive. He also had personal experience with being a slave so he could relate to the others. He once told a group of African American students from a school in Talbot County, Maryland, "What was possible for me is possible for you. Do not think because you are colored you cannot accomplish anything. Strive earnestly to add to your knowledge. So long as you remain in ignorance, so long will you fail to command the respect of your fellow men." He also was one of the first black citizens to hold a high rank in the US government by being a minister. Douglass would also travel through the North and speak to all sorts of people encouraging the end of slavery. Without Frederick Douglass we would not be educated as well about slavery and it may be still going on today.

Education separates the free man from the enslaved man. Douglass asserts that education is a "blessing of liberty." Douglass identifies the key truth in life that slavery ends with the power of knowledge. In the same book, Douglass says, "With slavery behind me and all the great untried world before me, my heart throbbed with many anxious thoughts as to what my future might have in store for me."

• Douglass, Frederick, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, 1845
• www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/frederick_douglass.html
• http://www.gobookee.org/frederick-douglass-ap-style-questions-answers/
• http://www.ebscohost.com/us-high-schools

Question 2

Douglass also exemplifies the changes in a slave's life spiritually. "I often found myself regretting my own existence" (ch. 7).

He repeats this idea again by saying "It is possible, or even probable that from that plantation in Baltimore, i should have today instead of being here seated by my own table, in the enjoyment of freedom and the happiness of home, writing this narrative, been confined in the galling chains of slavery" (ch. 6).

Douglass uses a unique writing style (run-on sentence) to provide the reader with a clear image of the atrocities of slaver and all they were deprived of. Looking back on his liberation, he dictates that "it was a moment of the highest excitement I've ever experienced."

In chapter 10, Mr. Auld finds his wife teaching Douglass. "A should know nothing but to obey his master." This quote showcases the abominations of slavery: obeying only the white man and not even himself. Which helps the reader understand the hopelessness of slaves

IS