Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis
After reading a short excerpt from “Life of Fredrick Douglass”, I learned about the wretched, criminal, motives of enslavers. I understand the reasoning of why Douglass would rather be an animal. Douglass recalled the moment he realized how to read and understood the true characteristics of slavery.
I based my answer on an important event Douglass recalls from page 18. The narrator explains how Auld’s wife tries to teach Douglass to read, but is told not to because it will make him unfit for slavery. He continues and succeeds in reading. Eventually, he reads the Columbian Orator. After reading this, Douglass got a bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights. I feel that what Douglass discovered would help him
understand his own life and situation.
I found my second answer in the beginning of page 19. Douglass recognized who enslavers were when he claimed that enslavers were successful robbers who had gone to Africa, stole them from their homes, and forced them into slavery. I agree with Douglass because the slavers did exactly what Douglass stated. The enslavers did steal them from their homes.
Douglass wanted to be an animal due to harsh realities. On page 19, he stated “I have often wished myself a beast, no matter what, to get rid of thinking!”. Since he learned to read, he was tormented by his thoughts of slavery. He wanted to be an animal because animals do not know they are slaves, and would not be tormented.I understand Douglass’s reasoning.
With this information, I was able to understand all three questions of the excerpt. These were the important events Douglass recalled, why he compared enslavers to criminals, and why he wanted to be an animal.
I based my answer on an important event Douglass recalls from page 18. The narrator explains how Auld’s wife tries to teach Douglass to read, but is told not to because it will make him unfit for slavery. He continues and succeeds in reading. Eventually, he reads the Columbian Orator. After reading this, Douglass got a bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights. I feel that what Douglass discovered would help him
understand his own life and situation.
I found my second answer in the beginning of page 19. Douglass recognized who enslavers were when he claimed that enslavers were successful robbers who had gone to Africa, stole them from their homes, and forced them into slavery. I agree with Douglass because the slavers did exactly what Douglass stated. The enslavers did steal them from their homes.
Douglass wanted to be an animal due to harsh realities. On page 19, he stated “I have often wished myself a beast, no matter what, to get rid of thinking!”. Since he learned to read, he was tormented by his thoughts of slavery. He wanted to be an animal because animals do not know they are slaves, and would not be tormented.I understand Douglass’s reasoning.
With this information, I was able to understand all three questions of the excerpt. These were the important events Douglass recalled, why he compared enslavers to criminals, and why he wanted to be an animal.