The History Place Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis Essay

This is hypocritical in that the white men make these values and traditions a staple of their lives, yet when it comes to slaves, they seem to go away. He also believes that, though he will use “the severest language”(Douglass) he can, he firmly believes that “not one word shall escape me that any man whose… not blinded by prejudice, or… a slave-holder, shall not confess to be right and just”(Douglass). So he sincerely believes that the average human being also knows that the treatment of slaves is unjust and unethical, but they choose not to act on these thoughts. His view, coming from the eyes and thoughts of slaves across America, show how hypocritical the nation actually is in both one sided values and not acting upon their knowledge that what is going on is wrong.

Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that of Declaration of Independence, extended for us" and "what have me or those I represent to do with your national independence?” He was starting how Americans were celebrating "freedom" and "independence" when nearly four million humans were kept as slaves and scraped from their rights and left nude and alone in the world. How can someone be so shallow to ask a former black slave to talk about freedom how shallow can someone be to speak of freedom in America when slavery still existed? Frederick Douglass grabs the audience’s attention by giving out strong diction in his speech as he says “above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wails of millions, whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today rendered more intolerable by the jubilant shouts that reach them,” he is explaining that while Americans celebrate this so said freedom he still hears the cries of those slaves who suffer. And that it is becoming now less and less hard for people to hear out their shouts, In different occasions he use words like justice, Gratitude, Liberty, Prosperity, And independence. These loaded words that mean so much to the slaves words that seem almost impossible for them to obtain words they seek to keep nut cant. Words that America thinks can only ne for those whom face is dressed in

He emphasizes by stating, “fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous, joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions!” In other words, his fellow brothers suffered injustices that he will not forget nor does he wish to. In the hopes to make them have an image of his people pleading for mercy. Furthermore, he explains that he is to see this from an individual’s perspective being an ex-slave himself. To demonstrate, Douglass explains how slaves are overwork, are deprive of their liberty, work without any wages given to them, and “keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men’, to beat them to a pulse, to whiplash until their fresh is torn from their limp bodies, to pursuit them dogs, to renounce to their relatives, to “knock their teeth”, to be malnourished and to submit to their masters wishes. This was an example of what white people have done in the past to the slaves. In giving such gruesome images, Douglass hopes to open their attitude towards the treatment of the slaves.

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a fantastic speech to a group of abolitionists in the city of Rochester, New York. He briefly summarized and praised the history of the United States, but then extremely eloquently spoke about the current situation that African slaves inhabited. Before I started reading the speech for myself, I saw the length and was a bit put off. However, when I started reading the speech, I found Douglass’ style to be incredibly impressive, and I enjoyed reading the whole speech. I took notice quite early in the speech, of almost a foreshadowing of where his speech was going to take a turn to. Douglass was clever to make a distinction between those of slaves and non-slaves by using “yours.” Although he recognizes the greatness of the country and its origins, he soon points out that the African slaves cannot celebrate such histories. For instance, he states that the fourth of July is, “a day that reveals to him (the

According to Douglass, “They went so far in their excitement as to pronounce the measures of government unjust, unreasonable, and oppressive, and altogether such as ought not to be quietly submitted to” (Douglass, 150). Douglass saw similarities between the struggles of the forefathers and black slaves, and he compelled his audience to recognize these similarities and follow the example of the forefathers.

During the mid-19th century, the issue of slavery divided the nation between two firmly rooted camps, the southern slave owners and the northern abolitionists. As authors and activists attempted to shed light on the issue of slavery, they appealed to the millions of citizens who were in between camps, whether due to a lack of knowledge or lack of importance in their daily lives. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one such literary work that helped inform American citizens on the horrors of slavery, offering a first-hand account as Douglass rose from a slave to an educated free man. Within his narrative, Douglass describes his life as a slave and transition into American society with newfound freedom, highlighting the dehumanizing results of slavery. Furthermore, Douglass appeals to the three Aristotelian appeals throughout his novel, synthesizing the argument that slavery should be abolished. Specifically, Douglass makes use of vivid imagery that appeals to readers’ pathos, inciting horror in his audience at the sight of atrocities committed by slave owners. Moreover, Douglass references a number of prominent literary works when forming analogies between slavery and history, appealing to readers’ ethos by illustrating his education and increasing the credibility of his argument. Finally, Douglass utilizes a parallel sentence structure to appeal to readers’ logos by presenting his

By supporting the Revolutionaries actions to break free from British Rule, Douglass alluded to the similar fight that the American population faced to attain the same liberty that white citizens had. With the same courage the Founding Fathers had to create a free country, the American generation of 1852 faced a similar test to uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence, and liberate American slaves.7 After applauding the Founding Fathers, Douglass acknowledges that the emphasis of his speech is not to give praise, but to call on America to act on it’s own failures and begin to faithfully fulfill the nations oath.8 He asks his audience, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us [African Americans]?”9 This rhetorical question Douglass presents, challenges America to reevaluate what they are truly celebrating on the Fourth of July, for it is surely not the freedom in which they claim to have achieved. Douglass asserts that asking black people to rejoice in the “shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery”10 and do not respect the courage, and steps the Founding Fathers took to create a free, liberated nation.11

Frederick Douglass establishes his own ethos in the opening lines of the speech. He does so by questioning his oratorical authority to speak on freedom with the following rhetoric: “ Fellow citizens, pardon me, and allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today? Frederick Douglass is not saying that he is a nobody, but out of everybody why would he, the former slave and abolitionist, be chosen to to speak on the celebration of freedom. But of course, Frederick Douglas resume suggests that he is educated, experienced and qualified enough to speak on freedom. He was born a slave in Maryland and experienced the horror of slavery first hand. He escaped from slavery and

Douglass’ speech supported the abolitionist movement of the 1850s, which lasted until after slavery ended nationally in 1865. The location and timing of this speech are extremely vital in the components within it; had it been given on a different day the outcome may not have been the same. Frederick Douglass gave this speech on the day after America’s celebrated national Independence Day. This day is relative to slavery as it elaborately exposes the injustice and unequal treatment of fellow humans. This is one topic that Douglass expressed passionately as the white man was celebrating his independence as the black man was still in chains. “He characterized the Fourth of July as a hypocritical sham from the point of view of the millions living in the country who were still enslaved” and had not ever lived a day of a free white man (Bibby). Douglass said, “Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us,” which shows that during this time period there was a wide gap in treatment of individuals solely based on the color of their skin (Douglass 1236). Through Frederick Douglass’ speech it is evident that there was strong racial divide even without knowledge of the context. Slavery was ongoing while this speech was given, and Douglass made several claims throughout validating abolitionists views; that slavery was brutal and morally wrong.

1.) Douglass spent so much time talking about the agreed upon points because he was trying to ensure the reader knew that every person, individually, is equal in this world; moreover, that we all should be treated with the same dignity and respect that is declared in the Declaration of Independence. " Are the principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?" (Douglass 316). He does not argue the main points of slavery because it is clear that slavery was wrong and should never occur again.

“For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Is it not astonishing that, while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, working in metals of brass, iron, copper, silver and gold…that, while we are engaged in all manner of enterprises common to other men…we are called upon to prove that we are men!” (Douglass) During his speech, Douglass elaborated on the different aspects of why blacks have a natural right to freedom as any other human being He argued it is wrong to turn a man into a “brute” and proceeded to argue that slavery is not divine in its origin. Douglass’s speech was a calling for equality, for change. He accomplished his goal and proved the fourth of July was a revolting reminder to him and those like him of the continual inhumane cruelty American attempted to conceal through its mockery.

He has shown that the “blessings in which you, this day rejoice, are not enjoyed in common” (124). With the purpose of his speech firmly defined, he now has the liberty to expound upon the true evil of slavery that lurks in the shadow of hypocrisy. He employs the satirical technique of ridicule to expose the ugly nature of enslavement with equally ugly diction. Douglass’ disapproval ranges from “hideous” to “revolting” to “an outrage”, and culminates in the assertion that slavery is the “greatest sin and shame of America” (125). A far cry from the almost reverent tone of his opening statements, Douglass led his audience from the throes of a Fourth of July celebration to an intense degradation of the freedom they so

P1:1 “Freedom,” written in English 363, analyzes (formalism approach), Frederick Douglass’, “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” that expresses Douglass’ human condition/need for freedom from slavery. Douglass writes about his wish for freedom from slavery during the 1800’s (Douglass Ch 1). Douglass has a good life with his first master, and he learns to read, but his second owner treats him cruelly and then he seeks freedom from slavery (Douglass Ch 1). Douglass in his poem to the ships reflects upon one Sunday afternoon (like many other Sundays) when he is off from work and near the water admiring the passing ships and wishing for his freedom from slavery (Douglass Ch 10). Douglass believes that all slaves wish for freedom from

Douglass offers a historical parallel to support his abolitionist ideology to demonstrate how the ignorance of the past does not have to pervade the present, thus encouraging Plato’s ideal Good within American society. Especially since the fourth of July celebrates America’s liberation from England’s tyrannical rule, a once radical and seemingly unattainable goal, African American’s search for liberty is emphasized. The colonists had good intentions and, “They loved their country better than their own private interests…though this is not the highest form of human excellence (Douglass 5), Douglass’s claim that their intentions were still misplaced shows how he wished for a better, more equal society. This society, would be characterized by a majority of abolitionists, essentially citizens who seek out justice and equality for all, rather than just the white majority currently in power. Douglass’s claims coincide with Plato’s view that “as for persuading and coercing fellow citizens to the point of self-improvement…this alone is the task of a truly good citizen.” (Plato 95) This quote serves as justification for a society comprised of Good citizens that strive to attain compromise and fairness. His want for an inclusive America, calls citizens to action, to truly uphold their constitution which claims it establishes equality. Douglass embodies the Good by attempting to inform his fellow citizens of what justice for all looks like. It’s important to lead virtuous lives, lead by example, and demonstrate the highest form of Good one can possibly attain, and Douglass exemplifies

In brief, Douglass talks about how a poor man was, “Immediately chained and handcuffed; forever sundered, from his family and friends, by a hand more unrelenting than death” (23). In this situation, Douglass talks about family and the significance of it. While the man was being chained away, the biggest fear was