Rhetorical Analysis On Frederick Douglass

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Mara Siegel Mrs. Laptalo AP Language 22 April 2024 Chains and Change: My Bondage and My Freedom’s Use of Contrast to Challenge Enslavement and Racism When Hugh Auld discovered that his wife was teaching Frederick Douglass the alphabet, he immediately forbade it, threatening beatings if Douglass continued. But Douglass was not deterred. He secretly pursued his education and later taught others to read as well. As Douglass grew older, his resolve to escape enslavement strengthened, and when he was 20 he left his enslavement in Baltimore by boat, a free man. In this time period, enslavement was common and while it was not legal in the north, the discriminatory environment in America made it difficult for Black Americans to live, even in the north. …show more content…
her back was covered with blood. The red stripes were all over her shoulders” (69). Rather than remaining vague, Douglass uses specific language and imagery such as describing Nelly’s shoulders to really make the audience imagine this abuse, appealing to their sympathy. Since his audience probably knows about the violence occurring in enslavement in theory, merely hinting at the violence would not inspire an emotional reaction. However, firsthand accounts like his are rare and powerful, inspiring them to join the abolitionist movement. Unfortunately, some parts of the audience may not be as moved if they don’t quite view enslaved people as human. To combat this, Douglas discusses emotional abuse on plantations in the form of disconnection from family. When talking about his mother, he reveals that she had to walk “about twelve miles” during the night to visit him (46). Whenever Douglass’s mother wanted to see him, she would have to walk 24 miles during the night, and get back to her plantation before the next day’s sunrise (or else she would be flogged). Douglass shows this audience how difficult it was for enslaved families to connect and form strong relationships — besides physical abuse, enslaved people experienced isolation and emotional abuse through the division of
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