Examples Of Imagery In Frederick Douglass

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,

In Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, he writes in depth about his life as a slave. His intent for the book is to abolish slavery. He targets the white Northern men by using the three rhetorical appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos, to convince his goal. He also portrays the religious aspect, in Christian values. Narrating his personal experiences with his masters and fellow slaves, he states reasons of the immorality of enslavement. Douglass argues that slavery ultimately dehumanizes slave owners and demonstrates that slavery is immoral.

Additionally, Douglass’s humanity is revealed through the symbolic meanings he bestows upon light while describing his first encounter with Mrs. Auld. When Mrs. Auld first greets Douglass, “[He] saw what [he] had never seen before; it was a white face beaming with the most kindly emotions; it was the face of [his] new mistress.”18 Fredrick Douglass's usage of ambiguity in describing his mistress's white face, either to describe the color of her skin or the emotions that it expresses emphasizes his own humanity, for he is able to tactfully play with the English language to encode not only the color of a women's skin but also her innocence and joy. Douglass reflects on this moment wishing “[he] could describe the rapture that flashed through [his] soul as [he] beheld [her

The Dehumanization Process in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave

Frederick Douglass uses elements of figurative language to express his emotions of anger and torment and uses figurative language to make the readers understand his feelings. Some type of figurative language he uses are metaphors, personification, and imagery. He first starts off by saying “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” This sentence uses both personification and metaphors to show that he is almost an equal to them because he is giving the children something they need and something very valuable to them and in return, they are giving him the same thing but with knowledge. He then continues later by saying Sheridan’s speeches “Gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul, which had frequently flashed through my mind and died away for want of utterance.” In this quote, he uses personification to show that when he read

To display the common treatment of slaves, Douglass develops pathos when describing his first exposure to slavery and the brutal treatment of Aunt Hester. He gives a detailed description of her “heart-rending shrieks” when she was forced to endure countless lashings and beatings (Douglass, 24). Additionally, he describes the mentality of Captain Anthony, the slave owner, by stating that “the louder [Hester] screamed, the harder he whipped” (Douglass, 23). By describing the punishments that his aunt was forced to face and the deliberateness of Captain Anthony’s actions, Douglass develops pathos, which exposes the audience to the harsh nature of slavery and makes them pity the slaves who were forced to endure this treatment. It shows the audience that slaves were forced to endure pain if they did not listen to their masters and could not

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

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.

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass explains, in great detail, how slave master would use a variety of methods to dehumanize slaves located on their plantation. These methods involved both severe physical and psychological trauma. Nevertheless, Douglass remains diligent and finds a way to resist the harsh reality of being a slave. Because of his immovable desire to acquire knowledge to his fighting encounter with Mr. Covey, these experiences help shape Douglass to be the archetype of what it means to go from slavery to freedom. This essay will highlight the physical and psychological tactics used on slaves. In addition, the aspect of how Douglass resists the

The famous American romanticism Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by Frederick Douglass significantly tells and describes the life story of Frederick Douglass experiences, hardships, and inspiration as an African American slave. Throughout the Narrative, Douglass uses precise diction and defined imagery to trap the reader physically and intellectually. Douglass shows his audience that slavery was beyond black’s being own by white’s. He successfully is able to give a strong foundation and understanding on what the word slavery for an African American actually meant. “Douglass’s Narrative, explore the ideology that legitimized, justified, and rationalized slavery on the basis that Africans and their descendants were subhuman.” (Bruce). Douglass even goes into depth and he is able to connect his experience as a slave with romanticism. Romanticism can fairly be looked at as a relationship between nature and a higher power(God). According to the English Teaching: Practice and critique romanticism are “ “...The elements of feeling and of thought” through the subjective process of synthesizing interior and sensual experience brings the individual into a state of undivided oneness with the “wisdom and spirit of the universe” ”. Frederick Douglass upbringing was in the romantic period. This period is when slaves needed a higher power to believe in for hope. Hope that one day they will be lead to

In today’s society, almost all people are seen the same way, people have faults about them and have different traits, but all are considered human, men and woman are able to hold the same positions and jobs, and people of all races are able to live together in society. Frederick Douglass was born, and raised, a slave in the 1800s; life was very different, African Americans and white Americans were not seen as equals. As a young boy, Douglass was sent to Baltimore where he learned to read and write. By learning to read and write, Douglass knew the difference between slavery and freedom was literacy. After this crucial time in his life,

Slavery is a humongous topic involving both slaves and former slaves. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Story is one such story. Douglass suffered punishments, and watching others get punished, he uses those experiences to make his argument against slavery.Douglass’ tone in the narrative is sarcastic and dark. Frederick Douglass successfully uses vast quantities of rhetorical devices, illuminating the horror and viciousness of slavery, including the need to eliminate it.

of imagery. Douglass told many stories about people and the things he saw during his time as a slave.

In the biography of Frederick Douglass written by Nathan Irvin Huggins, covers the life of a magnificent man who lived his life as a slave, only to flee for his freedom to be a foremost advocate against slavery. Douglass was a black leader in the time of hostilities towards his race and became the foremost leaders of the abolitionist movement. He fought to end slavery within the United States in the decades prior to the Civil War and even harder after. He was also a great writer, husband and father to four children.

In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Mr. Douglass gives many examples of cruelty towards slaves as he shows many reasons that could have been used to abolish slavery. Throughout the well-written narrative, Douglass uses examples from the severe whippings that took place constantly to a form of brainwashing by the slaveholders over the slaves describing the terrible conditions that the slaves were faced with in the south in the first half of the 1800’s. The purpose of this narrative was most likely to give others not affiliated with slaves an explicit view of what actually happened to the slaves physically, mentally, and emotionally to show the explicit importance of knowledge to the liberation