Sophie Auld's Diction

Through his specific diction, Frederick Douglass is able to exemplify how slavery not only dehumanized slaves, but had an equally horrifying effect on slave owners. When Douglass initially meets Sophie Auld, he describes her as a “pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman” (Douglass 50). Never owning a slave before, Sophie Auld was not accustomed to the typical treatment of slaves, leaving Douglass “utterly astonished at her goodness” (Douglass 46). However, once she is scolded for her kind treatment towards Douglass, most notably for attempting to educate him, by her husband, Douglass describes an extreme change in her character. Douglass uses intense imagery when describing her change, claiming, “that cheerful eye, under the the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweat accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon” (Douglass 46).

Instead of simply stating that practicing actual slavery made Sophie Auld a cruel person, by using vivid diction, such as “red with rage” and comparing her to a demon, Douglass is able to exemplify that by succumbing to the cruel practices of slavery, Sophie Auld lost a piece of her humanity. By becoming a slave owner, she allowed herself to dehumanize by committing abominable acts towards another human being, and in the process destroyed her original kind and good natured disposition.