Frederick Douglass Ethos Pathos Logos

4,000,000 people in America alone were slaves during the 1800s. During this time abolitionists were rising in order to end slavery to allow everyone freedom they deserve. An abolitionist named Frederick Douglass was invited to give a speech as part of the Fourth of July celebrations. Within his speech, he wrote that there was a giant separation between men based on race, significance of the 4th of July to a slave, and how slavery was wrong. His purpose of creating the speech was to not only shed light on America’s hypocrisy, but to confront everyone that the truth that they don’t want to own up to: America is not what it seems to be. Frederick Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and sarcasm in order to efficiently put America in its place, and furthermore
The 1800s separate but equal was an injustice rule supplemented throughout America. Many free African Americans were still experiencing racism. Douglass addressed this issue stating, “I say it with a sad sense of disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary!” (Douglass par.3). Within this quote he mentions “pale” which insinuates he is talking about white Americans. America assigned different rights to individuals in accordance with their race. Aware of this, Douglass explains, “The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine.” The “stripes” mentioned can be the stripes of a jail uniform or the stripes of the whip lashes. He also mentions how sunlight brought white men life while African Americans died. Just within these two quotes, the message suggests America is split and divided among the races, especially with the Fourth of July. Douglass gave this speech at the Fourth of July celebration’s so his intended audience is to America, but mainly to white
Pathos pertaining to the use of emotion used in a passage or speech. He illustrates by explaining what 4th of july means to a slave, including what a slave goes through and what he/she thinks of 4th of July.Douglass states this“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;..”The rejoicing of america to a slave is empty and heartless because it doesn’t does not include them. This statement also includes a tiny bit of ethos. Ethos pertaining to the appeal of ethics or credibility of someone.Douglas was a slave and a powerful abolitionist that had many supporters, so he was invited to speak for the 4th of July. So first hand experience of the tortures one endures as a slave. As he states “I do forget, if I do not remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day”.The cries of bleeding children he will always remember, because his time as a slave gives him first based