Rhetorical Analysis Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July

Imagine you were a slave in the 1850’s, and were asked to celebrate the Fourth of July, despite the fact that you still didn’t have your own freedom. Would you do it? Frederick Douglass stands up to this question, when he gives his, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, speech in 1852. Douglass is not only speaking to a crowd of abolitionists, but also a crowd filled with anti abolitionists. Douglass is speaking, to share his bold argument on this topic, and support anti slavery. He feels that it is just absurd to ask a slave to celebrate Independence Day, when he does not have freedom. Douglass develops his argument in, “What to the slave is the Fourth of July”, by incorporating rhetorical devices, such as rhetorical questions, allusions,

Douglass’s usage of Allusions in his speech, help the audience understand his information, and speech better. When Douglass includes key topics, such as National Independence, the listeners understand his position better. “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence?” (Douglass Lines 2-3). The audience, can relate Douglass’s information, to their prior information on independence, and compare them. This helps the audience understand Douglass’s argument better, because if they come into listening to the speech with background knowledge, they will be able to focus more on Douglass’s persuasive text, and less on his actual information. Similarly, Douglass also includes Allusions, to reference a well known, significant object or place. An example of this, is when Douglass mentions the Declaration of Independence in the rhetorical question, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” (Douglass Lines 3-5). Douglass, decides to reference the Declaration of Independence, because it is a very well know documents, and the audience will definitely know what it is. This helps them understand that when the colonists declared freedom through the Declaration of Independence, slaves could not share that

Douglass uses Repetition, repeatedly to emphasize his key points throughout his speech. Throughout Douglass’s speech, he repeatedly says that slaves are men. “To prove that slave is a man…” (Douglass Line 27). “We are called upon to prove that we are men…” (Douglass Line 56). Douglass incorporates the factual claim, that “slaves are men” repeatedly to emphasise the importance. He is saying that slaves are men, and all men deserve freedom. Also, by emphasising this idea, it keeps the audience listening carefully, and thinking about his words. Once the audience is fully engaged and thinking, they will start to be convinced by Douglass’s words. In addition, Douglass uses repetition to create patterns in his speeches, which help the audience stay engaged. Douglass uses words, repeatedly in paragraphs quite often. For example, “The slaveholders themselves acknowledge it….” (Douglass Line 28). “They acknowledge it when they punish disobedience….” (Douglass Lines 29-30). “What is this but the acknowledgement that the slave is a moral…..” (Douglass Lines 33-34). These quotes, all come from the fifth paragraph. Clearly when Douglass was speaking, he would put emphasis on the word “Acknowledge”. This is to keep a pattern going in his speech, which helps the audience stay attentive. Once Douglass has an eager audience,