Ethos, Logos And Pathos: An Analysis Of Fredrick Douglass '

M. Foster
Due: December 16th, 2013
Fredrick Douglass Analysis

Fredrick Douglass narrates his novel using ethos, logos and pathos, all of which help him to establish credibility, emotion, and a personal connection with the reader. Through Douglass’ use of example which appeal to all three, the reader can find a substantial amount examples which appeal to pathos, which helps Douglass to establish not only a connection with the reader, but to emit emotion from them as well.
Douglass uses personal experiences in order to have the reader relate directly to Douglass’ life. Through these personal experiences, the reader sees many examples of pathos, from his early childhood all the way to his adulthood. The reader sees examples of this
on as soon as page three, when Douglass recalls the death of his mother. Douglass was not permitted to see his mother before she died, and that was of no difference to Douglass due to the fact that his mother was equivalent to a stranger. This causes the reader to become emotional when relating to a mother figure. As early as page three, the reader can relate to Douglass as a small child and his lack of a mother. He uses this appeal in order to emit sympathy and pity from the reader, which causes the reader to then side with Douglass in his argument against the hardships of slavery and the pain that slaves endured. By using this example, he proves that no age was spared in experiencing the horrors of slavery.
Douglass also appeals to reader’s pathos when they read the passages about punishments and physical action taken out on the slaves.
Within just a few pages, Douglass established his powerful argument, while more than one- fourth of the novel contains examples of gruesome events such as slaves being beaten, battered, and even killed. Through these horrific events, readers are made to cringe, envisioning what it was like to go through the hardships of slavery. By using an extensive amount of appeal, the reader becomes emotional to the horrors of slavery, and the reprimandings that slaves received. On page 22, Douglass recalls a former slave who was his wife’s cousin, who was beaten so brutally that she was actually killed. For someone to be sold into slavery, against their will, and then killed simply because she fell asleep due to previous nights lack of sleep, is absolutely unimaginable, and is seen as evil to any reader, regardless of age. This story is an example of Douglass establishment of pathos, and how he appeals to the reader’s emotions in his argument against slavery. Douglass appeals to pathos again on page 59 when he recalls a beating he was given by his new master, Mr. Covey. Douglass uses vivid details referring to the blood that would drip down his back, and the whip, which would cause ridges on his flesh. By using these vivid examples, the reader feels as if the actions are being performed on them, and that their raw flesh is being whipped. Douglass logically
uses these gruesome examples so that people become emotional in thinking about how awful Douglass and other slaves were treated, which then causes the reader to once again side with Douglass in his argument.
Douglass uses other ways to evoke emotion from the reader such as through his explanation of the lives that slaves had to unwillingly adapt to and the hardships they endured. Douglass explains the frigid winters that slaves slept through with little clothing and straw beds, if they were lucky enough not to sleep on the cold ground. Douglass also talks about their daily work and how tiring the labor was on page 63. He explains that while working for Mr. Covey, they were forced to work through all types of weather conditions, regardless of how the slaves’ bodies reacted to the sweltering sun or the bitter snow. Douglass explains on page 53 how some masters would starve their slaves, and therefore the slaves would result to begging or stealing from their neighbors. On page 46, Douglass recalls how men, women, and children who were slaves were subject to the same examination as horses, pigs, and chickens. Douglass explains how human beings who were sold into slavery could be examined by a buyer the same way that the buyer would examine a horse’s teeth, a pig’s body, or a chicken’s feathers. Douglass recalls past events in his life where slaves were treated like animals, where they had to sleep outside, eat scraps of food, and were subject to the same examinations. By Douglass making this comparison, he once again evokes emotion from the reader, and appeals to pathos.
Douglass uses pathos extensively throughout his narrative, and many examples throughout his book appeal to pathos and evoke emotion from the reader. Douglass changes the emotion of the story by changing from sadness to a sense of hope for the reader when he speaks of his plans to flee to the North, and his revelation when he knew that education was the key to being free. Douglass shares his revelation about education, which appeals to pathos in a different way. The reader now experiences emotions of optimism and happiness, realizing there is a sense of hope for Douglass in his journey throughout his narrative. Douglas appeals to pathos with an extensive amount of emotional details and events, which he includes in his narrative. By appealing to pathos he establishes a personal and emotional connection helping him to gain favor with the reader, and therefore gaining the readers support in his argument against slavery.