Frederick Douglass Logos

During the 1800’s, slavery took over the South, making it a time of sorrow for the United States. White southerners bought African Americans so that they could work for them. Frederick Douglass was a slave that achieved freedom through hard work. In Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about his experience during the 1800’s. Frederick Douglass was a field slave; however, he became one the most educated and literate slaves during those times. His knowledge of the events happening around him made him stand up for his rights and the right of his fellows. Even though he was brutally punished by his master, he never gave up on his goal. Douglass wanted the North to be aware of the terrible
things happening in the South. Douglass wanted change and he was willing to do whatever it took to obtain the rights and the freedom he and the other people deserved. In his autobiography, Frederick Douglass makes effective use of pathos and logos to convince the people in the North to take action about slavery in the South. Frederick Douglass makes excellent use of pathos to convince the North that slavery was wrong. Pathos was an effective method to catch their attention because Douglass makes the reader feel compassion for him. When Douglass uses pathos, the reader gets affected emotionally and understands the struggles that the author is going through. For example, a quote that uses pathos can be found on chapter one and it states, “For what separation is done, I don't know, unless it to hinder the development of the child’s affections toward its mother and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child. I never saw my mother” (Douglass 2). This is an effective use of pathos because it’s making the the North aware of the horrible things that are happening in the South. Children are being separated from their families so that they can be sold and put to work. Another excellent example of pathos can be found on chapter three and it states, “I was seldom whipped by my old master and suffered little from anything else than hunger and cold. I suffered much from hunger, but much more from cold. In the hottest summers and coldest winters I was kept naked” (Douglass 16). This is another effective use of pathos because it’s making the North aware of the terrible things that are happening to slaves. Slaves are either being punished or having to suffer from the weather. In this example, Douglass states what he had to do sometimes to acclimate to the weather. Pathos was a great way to communicate to the North because the use of this rhetorical appeal made the North feel compassion for the people in the South. Frederick Douglass also makes excellent use of logos to convince the North that slavery was wrong.
Logos was an effective method to catch their attention because Douglass points out the obvious rights that weren't given to him due to the fact that he was an African American Slave. When Douglass uses logos, the reader can see the inequality between the African Americans and the White people. African Americans were just forced to work and the only things they were granted were little rations of food and clothing. For example, a quote that uses logos can be found on chapter 5 and it states, “I wished I could be as free as they would when they got to be men. You will be free as soon as you are twenty one, but I am a slave for life. Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?” (Douglass 23). This is an effective use of logos because its the making the North aware of the injustice in the South. White people get to live freely, but African Americans have to work for someone for the rest of their lives. Slaves have to serve their master until they die. Another great example of logos can be found on chapter 3 and it states, “They think their own better than that of other. Many, under the influence of this prejudice, think their own masters are better than the masters of other slaves” (Douglass 12). This example shows the way African American thought. Slaves were brainwashed into thinking that they were in the hands of the best masters. This was logic to them because they were
brainwashed into believing their master gave them the best. This example shows the people in the North the situation in which the slaves were. Logos was another great way to communicating to the North the terrible situations that African American slaves were facing. During the 1800’s, many African Americans faced the problem of being sold and put to work. The 1800’s was all about slavery. During this time, slavery was a it’s all time high. Frederick Douglass was a slave, that with hard work and motivation became the most educated slave and after years of being a slave, he was free. During this time, Frederick Douglass wanted change and he also wanted the rights that him and his people deserved. He decided to write to the North explaining the situation that all African Americans were facing. In his book, Frederick Douglass explains the adversities he faced when he was a slave. Douglass used rhetorical appeals such as pathos and logos to make the North aware of the horrible events that were taking place in the South.