Rhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass
Kyla Valentine
DiCiaula
AP Lang III
2/24/23
Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis
Slavery in the United States was truly a horrific time to be a “negro”; beatings almost every day, scarcity of food and clothing, constant demeaning, belittling, hypocrisy, and much more unfathomable circumstances. In both Frederick Douglass’s self-written narrative and his speech titled, “What is Your Fourth of July to Me?”, he explains, in depth, the negative effects of these aspects of slavery, by using metaphors and biblical/religious allusions. However, while Douglass discusses his own experiences with slavery in his narrative, he acts as a representative for his people and discusses the universal Black experience in his speech, separating himself
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Douglass believes Christianity has too frequently been used as “a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages” (Speech). He utilizes this metaphor to showcase how even the most uncivilized savages would find slaveowners crimes and use of religion to cover up their crimes totally inhumane and disgraceful because of the complete lack of shame they have. To further criticize slaveowners, Douglass makes the connection between an auctioneer’s bell and the church’s bells, saying that they “chime within each other, and the bitter cries of the heart-broken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master” (Narrative). This connection describes how “Christianity of this land” (Narrative) somewhat blinds slaveowners into not being completely aware of the severity of their immoral behavior towards their slaves because it has taught them that it is okay as long as no one brings up what goes on behind closed doors. Both the Speech and the Narrative discuss the heavy topics surrounding slavery because Douglass recognized the impact they had on African Americans then, and he believed it was important to draw attention to them so that their rule could
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