Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Diction Essay

Frederick Douglass was a slave who, through luck and intelligence, was able to escape horrid conditions in Maryland. In his book, Douglass details his life as he grows up and learns to read and write. With this education, he becomes knowledgeable about slavery and is eventually inspired to escape. In the excerpt from his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” Douglass uses diction, comparisons, and repetition in order to thoroughly convey his initial excitement of escaping slavery, as well as the anxiety and loneliness that came shortly after.

The mix of excitement, loneliness, and fear Douglass feels shortly after arriving in New York is clearly illustrated through his use of diction throughout the excerpt. Once he arrives in New York, Douglass
feels relieved due to his newfound freedom and independence; he relates it as being the “highest” excitement he ever felt. Describing the excitement as being the highest, or most, ever felt illustrates how happy and excited he truly was. To be so happy to escape without knowing what lies ahead must indicate how he lived in terrible conditions while in slavery, and believes that anything is better. His excitement is thus effectively conveyed because most people can relate to and sympathize with a condition so bad that anything seems better, and can especially sympathize with slavery, allowing readers to fully understand why he feels so strongly.
Shortly after, Douglass’ excitement leaves and he is unable to communicate with the others due to his fear of going back into slavery. He has “distrust” of every colored man, and thinks of every white man as an “enemy” who wants to send him back to his master. The use of the words enemy and distrust help to show that, at this point, he feels as if everyone is against him. This paranoia allows Douglass to isolate himself and makes it incredibly hard to make friends, which create his feelings of loneliness. Friendship, just like any relationship, requires trust, and his distrust, as also illustrated by his motto “trust no man,” doesn't allow for easy relations. Subsequently, because of his lack of trust and paranoia, Douglass is bound to feel lonely, since he is in an unfamiliar land and refuses to open up due to his fears of slavery. In addition, the memory of Douglass’ previous condition fuels this distrust by reminding him of the pain he went through. Douglass is “whip-scarred,” which left a permanent reminder of his life in slavery, as well as the pain and blood it put him through. The scars left on him only create more fears, as he
is likely terrified of going through whippings again, which many cannot relate to. The pain and suffering of slaves outweighs most of the sufferings of average people nowadays, so to be whipped so hard and often that scars are formed must be traumatizing and creates sympathy in the readers, allowing them to understand why he is so afraid more. In addition to his troubles in slavery, now Douglass has to worry about being caught and either killed or taken back to his master, which must be terrifying considering how he just escaped, and thought he was through with slavery.