University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
ENGL 455 | Literacy, Rhetoric and Culture
Academic year:

2022
Views:

321

Pages:

2
Author:

sonalhava9qv

Rhetoric in the “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass” The intended audience for Douglass' narrative was a group of white, upper-class Northerners who believed that the growth of a black intellectual class would not challenge their sense of self-worth. Frederick Douglas hoped to persuade them of the evils of slavery and the necessity of its abolition. The choice of the audience Douglas made is evidence of how he wanted to articulate his message and ensure that it impacted the audience. The audience did not realize that Douglas was using his life experience to expose the evils castigated on the enslaved people and that time had come for them to be free. Douglass used the rhetorical device known as pathos in his writing to convey the horrors of slavery and his unwavering commitment to the goal of emancipation. In addition, he employed pathos to such an extent that readers could visualize his own experiences. To persuade, one must first enchant the audience's inner sensibilities. His use of irony, evasiveness, and frankness in his portrayals of slavery piques the reader's curiosity in Fredericks' “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas." Even the most hardened of hearts might be moved by Douglass's vivid depictions of the harshness of life as an enslaved person. The beginning of the story reveals that Douglass lacks one of the most remarkable human characteristics: the ability to identify one's age. “ I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far, the more significant part of the enslaved people knows as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. An enslaved person, Fredrick points out, lives at a low ebb compared to the rest of us. To set the tone for the rest of the book, the reader is introduced to the concept of enslaved people as simply labor animals. His use of comedic situations, representations of slave life, and overall sincerity appeal to the reader's emotions, and this is evident throughout the novel. Frederick Douglass seeks to bring the atrocities of slavery into the public eye by manipulating the emotions of those who are witnessing his performance. He provides personal experiences from his own life that are relatable to everyone to capture their interest.