ipl-logo

What To The Slave Is Fourth Of July Rhetorical Analysis

1090 Words5 Pages

“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality” ( Kazantzakis). This quote reminds many of what Frederick Douglass was trying to do the day he gave his famous speech. Frederick Douglass is an African American who experienced slavery during his lifetime, and was a firm believer in equality. He also taught himself how to read and at the age of twenty he escaped from slavery and was finally free. While delivering the speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” to the public, Frederick Douglass illustrates logos, pathos, and repetition in order to display to the audience that racial division is occurring everywhere in the United States throughout the time period of the 1800’s, despite having the national celebrations …show more content…

When an author or a person giving a speech repeatedly uses the same words over and over again, that would signal to the listener or reader that it is an important part to what they are trying to get across. One of the specific words that Douglass used often was “man” or “manhood” for instance he said, “it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race,” and “ crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced” (Douglass). The meaning behind the reoccurrence of those words is that he is emphasizing that the humanity of everyone is shared, including those who are slaves. He is wanting everyone to be seen as equals and by using the generic term, man, he isn’t specifying a specific group he is just talking to the public. On top of that he also repeats the words, “you” and “your”. A specific part in the speech when he says those words is when he was asking a question to the listeners. The question was, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?” (Douglass). The use of those two words is to signal to the all the white people in the crowd the amount of distance that is between Douglass and them. It also signals to his listeners that since he is black that he doesn’t and probably will never share the same attitude toward the Fourth of July that all the whites

Show More
Related

Frederick Douglass An American Slave Rhetorical Analysis Essay

732 Words | 3 Pages

Christianity was, to the slaves of America, (something with a double meaning). In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Frederick Douglass, the author, argues about how Christianity can mean one thing to a free white man and something completely different to a black slave. The slave owners follow the ‘Christianity of the Land’ while the slaves follow the ‘Christianity of Christ.’ Frederick begins to build his credibility to a, white, northern, audience by including documents from trustworthy writers and by getting into personal experiences through his writing. Throughout the narrative, he is articulate in how he writes, and it shows the reader that he is well educated.

Read More

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

614 Words | 3 Pages

It is one thing to study and topic and regurgitate it back out in your own words, but when you have experience with what you are sharing, your speech has a connection to you that is greater than any book you read could bring you. Douglass definitely knows where he has been and what he has done: lively in the south, being a slave, being brutally beaten; and he knows that he must use these in his speech to seem believable. Douglass proclaims that through blind prejudice, Douglass is inferior and a brute. What makes this so? The impeccable speaker argues, with words such as tyrants, vanity, heartless and vain, that the American people are oblivious.

Read More

Hypocrisy Of Slavery Rhetorical Devices

1032 Words | 5 Pages

In 1776, on July 4th, the 13 English colonies officially declared their freedom from England. However, as the years progressed, slavery became incorporated into everyday American life. In 1852, former slave Frederick Douglass gave a speech to celebrate America’s independence; however, instead of praising the country, he censured Americans for saying they were a “country of the free”. In the speech, Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Frederick Douglass declares that Americans should not be celebrating their freedom when there are slaves living in the country. To convince his audience that Americans are wrong celebrating freedom on the 4th of July when slavery exists in their country, he uses emotional appeal, ethical appeal, and rhetorical questions.

Read More

Similarities And Differences Of Martin Luther King Jr And Frederick Douglass

873 Words | 4 Pages

Although a century apart, Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and Frederick Douglass’s What to a Slave is the fourth of July are kindred spirits. Notwithstanding the many differences in their respective writing styles, deep down the essence of the message conveyed is still very much the same. Both Martin Luther King Junior and Frederick Douglas had similar beliefs and concepts related to the treatment of the African American community. They both describe a tough yet heart breaking situation that makes them question their moral values and doubt the system and its ability to change for better.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass

828 Words | 4 Pages

He questions his audience of the significance of Independence Day to slaves, and he answers it in an extremely contrasting way: “your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; … your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery,” that the celebration is “a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.” Douglass dismisses the national pride, characterizing it as a mere expression of people’s ignorance. The antithesis, with “greatness” being “vanity,” “sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless,” and “shouts of liberty and equality” being “hollow mockery,” provokes shock and anger from the audience, who have just been part of it and are now degraded as “savages.” However, Douglass was not trying to be inflammatory but provocative, witnessing the pathetic enthusiasm in the anniversary, that people feel exuberant about themselves while ignoring the saddening

Read More

Frederick Douglass Ethos Analysis

521 Words | 3 Pages

On July 5th 1852 Fredrick Douglass gave a speech to the anti-slavery society to show that all men and woman are equal no matter what. Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech to make look reasonable. Douglass demonstrates ethos by speaking in first person that of which he had experience slavery: "I was born amid such sights and scenes"(Douglass 4). When Douglass spoke these words to the society, they knew of his personal knowledge and was able to depend on him has a reliable source of information. The anti-slavery society listening to his every word, considering that Douglass spoke with integrity, knowledge and emotions.

Read More

Rhetorical Devices In The Fourth Of July

1056 Words | 5 Pages

First, Frederick Douglass uses rhetorical questions to elucidate to the listener the many social inequalities between black and white people. For example, Frederick Douglass says, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice embodied in the Declaration of Independence extended to us?” (para. 1). He is implying that the rights stated in the Declaration of Independence are not given to those of African American race. The audience will begin to realize that they are not treated with the same liberties as those who are considered free.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Douglass And Mary Rowlandsson

1157 Words | 5 Pages

Fredric Douglass wrote, “What to the Slave is Fourth of July” in 1852. In this speech to the American public, Douglass states how great of a country American “was” and how great the forefathers “were”. In contrast to those statements he professes his reasoning for freeing slaves. However, Mary Rowlandson wrote, “A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” in 1682. This captive narrative takes place during the King Philips war, and depicts how the native Americans treated their prisoners of war.

Read More

Hypocrisy Of Slavery Analysis

1657 Words | 7 Pages

Aren’t they the children of god as others? Aren’t they sharing the same blood of human being? So, why should they be a slave, why not a respectful human? In fact, Douglass employs the rhetorical appeals of logos and pathos mostly and sometimes ethos also effectively. Even if Douglass incorporated mostly persuasive logical claims through the use of true facts of reality matched with emotional situation, his audience may find him aggressive because of his heated and distressful word choice.

Read More

Summary Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July

582 Words | 3 Pages

So to the African American community in the south the 4th of July was just another day because unless you lived in the north you didn’t get to experience these freedoms that whites enjoyed. Fredrick Douglass was first invited to do a speech in Rochester, New York while addressing the Rochester Ladies Antislavery Society. It’s clear from the beginning of the speech that Fredrick appears very nervous and actually apologies to

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Essay On A Vindication Of The Rights Of Women

2333 Words | 10 Pages

Douglass establishes his credibility and authority on the issue of slavery and inequality in the United States by drawing on his own experience and expertise. He begins the speech by introducing himself as a former slave and expressing his sadness and disappointment at the Fourth of July festivities which celebrate the nation’s independence while ignoring the ongoing oppression of African Americans. He says, “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us.” By acknowledging his own identity as a former slave, Douglass gives himself immediate credibility on the issue of slavery and inequality.

Read More

My Bondage And My Freedom Frederick Douglass Language Analysis

1344 Words | 6 Pages

“One who is a slaveholder at heart never recognizes a human being in a slave” (Angelina Grimke). This quote was created to show the effect that slavery had on not only the slave, but the slaveholder. The slaveholder would dehumanize the slave to the point where the human was no longer recognizable; instead, the slave was property. Throughout this autobiography, Frederick Douglass uses language to portray the similarities and differences between the two sides. He allows the reader to spend a day in the life of a slave to see the effects from it.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Hypocrisy Of American Slavery

1025 Words | 5 Pages

He declares, “to forget them [the slaves], to pass lightly over their wrongs and to chime in with the popular theme would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world,” (para. 5). He discusses that slavery is unjust, and says that celebrating freedom with slavery would be treason. This helps the audience realize that celebrating freedom in their country is not a peccadillo, and they naturally will try to right the wrong because of their moral instincts by stopping their celebration. He also says, “to him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages,” (para. 15). In this quote, Douglass says that celebrating liberty is covering up a crime: slavery.

Read More

What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July Essay

636 Words | 3 Pages

He proclaims that "…While we are…living, moving, acting, thinking, planning, living in families as husbands, wives and children, and, above all, confessing and worshipping the Christian's God, and looking hopefully for life and immortality beyond the grave, we are called upon to prove that we are men!" By showing the mundanity of the slave, Douglass shows the audience that the slaves are human and therefore unable to be considered property. He forces his audience to examine their own lives and realize their similarities to the slaves and the hypocrisy of slavery. He doesn't give his audience a chance to disagree with his stance on slavery because he makes such a blunt argument. Douglass asks again, "Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man?

Read More

Rhetorical Devices In Frederick Douglass's Speech

1024 Words | 5 Pages

The fourth of July and slaves really don’t mix. Frederick douglass was born as a slave and he does a speech on the fourth of july and they are thinking that he is going to give a whora speech but he dont do that it 's the complete opposite of what they thought. In frederick douglass, Hypocrisy of American Slavery he attacks the hypocrisy of a nation celebrating freedom and independence with speeches, parades and platitudes, while, within its borders, nearly four million humans were being kept as slaves. Overall douglass has explained his speech through emotional,ethical,logical appeal and through rhetorical questions.

Read More

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

Related Topics

Open Document