Visions of Freedom

             The 1845 autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, provides an elaborate examination of the hardships of slavery. Frederick Douglass' firsthand recounting of the whippings, beatings, and hangings he observed as a slave in the nineteenth century vividly illustrate the poor treatment African American slaves endured in the South. His words, thoughts, and feelings throughout his internment as a slave provide an in depth description of his account. Douglass uses many rhetorical devices and figurative language, which enhances his writing and enable his readers to envision the points that he put across. His use of rhetorical devices and figure of speech also wields in his audience from the bias of his Autobiography. Further, his autobiographical story bridges the gap between simple historical facts and the myths associated with American slavery.
             One rhetorical device that Douglass use's is an apostrophe, which is an address delivered to the absent, the dead, or to an inanimate thing, as if present. In the narrative Douglass uses an apostrophe to the sailing ships. In this apostrophe, Douglass fights against the dehumanizing effects of slavery and he goes on to prove his essential humanity by directly comparing himself to the sailing ship; "you are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I am fast in my chains, and am a slave!" (Douglass 74) In Douglass's overall use of an apostrophe he emphasizes on freedom.
             In the narrative Douglass also uses the method of persuasion. At this point, his main audience was the North and the Government. Throughout his narrative, he tries to persuade his readers into agreeing that slavery is unjustified and that it needs to be stopped. He goes into descriptive details when he describes each scene of someone getting whipped or when he would get whipped.
             ."..stripped her from neck to waist bearing her neck, shoulders, and back, entirely naked...crossing her hands, he tied them with...

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Visions of Freedom. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 18:37, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/3031.html