"Does Frederick Douglass use figurative language in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave?" Here are some of the examples from his narrative: When describing his own aunt's beatings, Douglass writes this: No words, no tears, no prayers from his gory victim, seemed to move his iron heart from its bloody purpose. Like the Jews, the slaves felt like their persecution would eventually end in an afterlife where they would encounter their friends and families and finally be free of the brutality, oppression, and meaningless of their earthly lives. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is an 1845 memoir and treatise on abolition written by African-American orator and former slave Frederick Douglass during his time in Lynn, Massachusetts. Douglass is a African American that was a slave and did a Narrative about his time being a slave and in his Narrative he threw light at the American slave system. In the Narrative Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, he uses this text to explain his purpose in throwing light on the American slave system, or show it for what it really is, as well as show his position on how he strongly believes slavery is an issue that needs to be addressed and how it differs from those who defended slavery, with experiences from his own life to support his argument. In the excerpt from "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave", I thought it was interesting how Douglass so easily conveyed many tones and emotions at once. Frederick Douglass makes a point to demonstrate the deterioration slavery yields from moral, benevolent people into ruthless, cold-hearted people. His rhetoric, tone, and sentiment are supposed to rouse the emotions of his 19th-century readers. In chapter ten, Douglass uses pathos with his imagery and figurative language that provokes an emotional response. "Mr. The loneliness overcame him due to the fact that he had no friends or family there. Too young to work in the plantation, he run errands and kept the yard clean. Prior to the eradication of slavery writers like Frederick Douglass sought to free millions of slaves in America. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. Slave religion was a fusion of traditional African beliefs and Christianity, oftentimes with a focus on the latter's stories of the Children of Israel and their flight from Egypt. Douglas describes the first time he witnessed a beating this way: It was a blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery . Douglass tries to express this by the use of parallelism. Slaveholders often hid behind interpretations of the Bible which suited and, they believed, condoned their behavior. order to contrast normal stages of childhood development with the A "brute" connotes a savage, wild animal, and this imagery again emphasizes the idea that slavery, in quenching the fire of the human spirit, reduces the human to an animal. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. On the other hand, this passage and the autobiography as a whole are records of the brutality of slavery. In fact, [He was] allowed less than a half of a bushel of corn-meal per week, and very little elseIt was not enough for [him] to subsist uponA great many times [he had] been nearly perishing with hunger (pg 31). We can all easily imagine what it is like to be held too tightly or crushed by another person. "I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition. Within My Bondage and My Freedom, Douglass uses diction throughout the autobiography to display his tone of understanding, and how slavery affects both the slave and the slave holder which causes the mood of frustration for the reader. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Douglass, in Chapter ten, pages thirty-seven through thirty-nine, of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, utilizes various rhetorical techniques and tone shifts to convey his desperation to find hope in this time of misery and suffering. He uses personification in this statement: Douglass says that as he still hears the echoes of these songs being sung, it forever deepens his hatred of slavery and all it represents. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. Midway through hisNarrative,Douglass makes an apostrophe to the ships on the Chesapeake Bay. The first does not tell of his abolitionist activities, travels, eventual emancipation, and other reform work. Douglass uses this comparison as a rhetorical strategy to criticize the institution of slavery. This will play a major role/foreshadows later in the story when he begins to educate himself and fight for the freedom of slaves. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass uses contrast, parallelism, imagery, allusions, and details to enhance the wickedness of slavery. Covey, who Douglass has been sent to by his master to be broken, has succeeded in nearly tearing all of Douglasss dreams of freedom away from him. After teaching himself to write, Frederick Douglass became as master at creating a spellbinding story, full of persuasive techniques needed to spread awareness of the horrors of slavery and using writing techniques to hold readers's attention. Obviously this event has been embellished and inflated for the readers of his book; he would not have stood at the prow of the ship and uttered such words. 9, how does Douglass come to know the date? Already a member? endstream Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Masterplots II: African American Literature Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself Analysis, Critical Edition of Young Adult Fiction Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself Analysis, Critical Context (Masterplots II: African American Literature), Critical Context (Critical Edition of Young Adult Fiction), Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, Frederick Douglass. for a customized plan. He observed the slave's brutal conditions working under Aaron Anthony. $24.99 Want 100 or more? Using a simile, he likens slaves trying to curry favor with their overseers to politicians trying to win election. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Preface by William Lloyd Garrison & Letter from Wendell Phillips, Preface by William Lloyd Garrison & Letter from Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Background. This example of the base meanness of slaveholders serves as one of the most melancholy moments in Douglass's Narrative. When slavery was abolished in 1865, it was a critical turning point in the journey towards equality for African Americans. In this simile, he compares the sorrow of a slave to that of a castaway and writes that they sing for the same reasonout of sadness rather than out of celebration. Full Title: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave When Written: 1845 Where Written: Massachusetts When Published: 1845 Literary Period: Abolitionist Genre: Autobiography Setting: Maryland and the American Northeast Climax: [Not exactly applicable] Douglass's escape from slavery 2 0 obj Similarly, Douglass implements irony in his tone as he describes Mr. Gore in chapter four4 as what is called a first-rate overseer (32). We can evidently see that Douglass does not want to describe only his life, but he uses his personal experiences and life story as a tool to rise against slavery. like soothing and tender to re-create imaginatively the childhood he quality of development that he knew as a child. Obviously, it was not the slaves fault, but the horses. 5 10). She became critical, harsh, fickle, and controlling. African American slave Frederick Douglass lived through a time of racism and how slavery was a natural thing to do but was a very awful thing. Given the multiple uses of repetition, antithesis, indirect tone shifts, and various other rhetorical techniques, we can see Douglass relaying to his audience the hardships of slavery through ethos, the disheartening times that slavery brings, and his breakthrough of determination to obtain freedom. It is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. However, these feelings induced by Mrs. Auld soon turn to hatred and remorse as the fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay The different events in his life like leaving the plantation, learning the truth about literacy, crimes he witnessed, the law that turned a blind eye to the cruelty he was victim to and his duty as a former slave to educate the people who were oblivious to the life slave were forced to live. It makes us dive into the time of slavery, suffer together with the slaves, and feel physically and emotionally the injustice of the system of the slavery. Douglass uses figurative language, diction, and repetition to emphasize the conflict between his emotions. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass himself, is a brutally honest portrayal of slavery's dehumanizing capabilities. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. In the first quotation below, for example, Douglass uses a series of vivid metaphors to compare the plight of a slave with the plight of a free man. Douglass uses figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in his narrative. In "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. Log in here. How many masters did Frederick Douglass have? Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. It was a new and strange sight to me, brightening up my pathway with the light of happiness (Ch. Start for free now! VII). In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. Douglass identifies these songs as prayers, for they were supplicatory and often part of religious expression. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a Identify evidence from the excerpt that reveals why learning to read was so important to Frederick Douglass when he was a boy. creating and saving your own notes as you read. His Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, (Document G) makes emotional reading (lurid descriptions like "bitterest dregs of slavery" or "broken in body, mind, and soul" elicited reactions of disgust and dejection, which is the what abolitionists were hoping for) and showed that ultimately a slave, long thought to be a possession and less than human, was very much a person with reason and intellect. language usage makes the Narrative Of The Life Of leading in experience. "You are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. The third paragraph is distinguished immensely from the others by the elements and details in it. Simply stated, Douglass was attempting to expose the horror of slavery to a large reading public. structure, viewing families as a haven of virtue. would have known if his mother had been present. 1 0 obj and sense of personal history. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds.". Douglass firmly believed that slavery was not only bad for slaves, but it was bad for slaveholders as well. 26 "That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon." How is Douglass able to maintain his religious faith when the faith of his owners is used to justify their treatment of him? How does this excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass demonstrate elements of Realism? From the outset of the book, Douglass makes it clear that slaves are deprived of characteristics that humanize them, like birthdays. In this quotation, Douglass uses descriptive adjectives Covey, who Douglass has been sent to by his master to be broken, has succeeded in nearly tearing all of Douglasss dreams of freedom away from him. Purchasing In Douglasss earlier years as a slave, he held a more optimistic outlook on his situation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Frederick Douglass (1818 -1895) was born a slave but became a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. Figuratively speaking, Douglass likens his own dreams to the ships, and he is able to say that he wishes for his own freedom--he wants to be like the boats and have the ability to move about to follow his own desires. I can never get rid of that conception. Element: used ordinary language, events, and settings (all described in great detail) "My cart was upset and shattered, my oxen were entangled among the young trees, and there was . Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Chapter 7 Lyrics I lived in Master Hugh's family about seven years. Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. "You are loosed from your moorings, and are free; I am fast in my chains, and am a slave! In life, humans have many different traits that describes themself. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, slaves are inhumanly represented by their owners and Frederick Douglass shines a positive light. Douglass also uses a metaphor when he describes a "living world of faith and spirit of hope (that) departed not" from him. The lesson plan as written does not include aligned rubrics or assessment guidelines to provide sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance. Those with no sense of the injustice of slavery see Mr. Gore as a good overseer because he was artful, cruel, and obdurate (32). Douglass uses diction in the rapture that flashed through my soul as I beheld it to portray the effects of her gentle, compassionate personality. He felt passionately for those still in servitude and spent his free years vigorously campaigning for abolition. Douglass frequently uses this ironic tone in the nNarrative to highlight the discrepancy between fictitious and actual. Frederick Douglass, original name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, (born February 1818, Talbot county, Maryland, U.S.died February 20, 1895, Washington, D.C.), African American abolitionist, orator, newspaper publisher, and author who is famous for his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass considered "property" of their slaveholders and had no control over their own life. It was the first of a long series of such outrages, of which I was doomed to be a witness and a participant. Douglass not only documents his journey from childhood to manhood, but also documents the mental and emotional the highs and lows of his emotions as he bounces between slavery and what he believes to be freedom. Discuss The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Figurative Language, In Frederick Douglasss autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he puts us in his shoes, recalling his encounter being born into slavery, and all the struggles that came with the ordeal. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% The narrative of the life written by Frederick Douglass is considered to be one of the most powerful books created by abolitionists. Frederick Douglasss story as told by himself in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is still relevant today. Preface and Letter from Wendell Phillips, Esq. Through Douglasss use of figurative language, diction and repetition he emphasizes the cruelty he experiences thus allowing readers to under-stand his feelings of happiness, fear and isolation upon escaping slavery. They are affected and artificial and strike the modern reader as unnecessary, but they would have resonated with contemporary readers. He evinces his love and feelings of community and mutual dependence throughout the text, relating his experiences teaching his fellow slaves how to read and explaining how it was a myth that slaves did not experience deep friendship with each other. Additionally, he also weaves other literary devices into his adept wording as well to craft a compelling and persuasive narrative. It shows that slaves are not allowed to know/or told any personal information about themselves. "From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom."