ColinGregg

RhetoricalAnalysisoftheN
arrativeoftheLifeofFrederick

Douglass

InhisnarrativeDouglassdisplaysthedehumanizingeffectsofslaveryby

exposingthehypocrisyofillminded,socalledChristianslaveowners.Throughhis

employmentoffirstpersonexperiences,parallelism,andzeugma,heisableto

effectivelyconveythedehumanizingeffectsofslavery.

Douglassuseoffirstpersonevidence,includingbothanecdotalandpersonal

experiences,contributedgreatlytothedemonstrationofthedehumanizationthatheand

theotherslaveswerefacing.Withouttheuseofpersonalexperiences,thestorycould

beeasilydiscountedandignored.But,throughtheuseoffirstpersonexperiences,

Douglassappealstothepathosofthereader,meaningtotheiremotion.Douglassalong

withhisfellowcomradesinchainswereconstantlysubjectedtobeatingsbythehandof

theirmasters.Suchinstancesrevealthemastersdelusionaldevotiontoreligion:Ihave

seenhimtieupalameyoungwoman,andbeatherwithaheavycowskinuponher

nakedshoulders,causingthewarmredbloodtodripand,injustificationofthebloody

deed,hewouldquotethispassageofScriptureHethatknowethhismasterswill,

anddoethitnot,shallbebeatenwithmanystripes.(55)Douglassusingthisasan

exampleofthefallacyofreligionthathisslavemasteruses,beatingthegirl,thenreciting

aBibleverseafterwards.Themasterveryclearlydoessoasawaytojustifyhis

actions,soinhisownmind,heisnotatfault.Itisbecauseofthis,thatitisclearthatthe
masterdoesnotviewuponhisslavesashumanbeings,asproperty,thembeing

humanshasnobearingonthepunishmentshehandsout.Thisisapatternthatwas

commonlyseeninDouglassexperiencewithhismasters:Iassertmostunhesitatingly,

thatthereligionofthesouthisamerecoveringforthemosthorridcrimesajustifierof

themostappallingbarbarity,asanctifierofthemosthatefulfrauds,andadark

shelterunder,whichthedarkest,foulest,grossest,andmostinfernaldeedsof

slaveholdersfindthestrongestprotection.(77)Douglassrecountshisexperienceof

howreligionwasusedinthesouth,asarationaleforthehorrificdeedsthatare

committedbythem.Usingtheseexperiencesbringsvaliditytotheclaimthatthese

slaveswerenottreatedashuman,andtheirtreatmentwasdegrading,andmore

importantly,dehumanizing.

Douglassuseofparallelismcontributestohisoverallargumentthatslaveryis

dehumanizing,adoptingatonethatmakeslifeasaslaveseemmonotonous,tiring,and

barbarous.Theconditionsthatmanyoftheslaveswereexposedtoaresimilartothatof

cattleworkinganimals,insomecases,theyaretreatedmuchw
orsethananimals:It

wasnevertoohot,ortoocolditcouldneverrain,blow,hail,orsnow,toohardforusto

workinthefield.(63)Thereislittleregardforthewellbeingofthemasterssubjects,

asdemonstratedbyDouglass.Parallelismhighlightssomeofthemainfactorsofthe

slavestreatment,theextensivemistreatmenttheyfacesortofblendstogether,asthey

losetheirsenseofself.Itisalsousedtoexpressactionsandemotions,again,itis

truncated:Shestandsshesitsshestaggersshefallsshegroansshe

dies.(49)Thelackofemotionshouldshowitself.Theirlivesweremeaninglessto
themaster,reducedtopuretoolsforhisexploitation.Thesearenottheendofthebrutal

abusesthattheseslavesendureeveryday,thisisjustasmallglimpseintotheirlives,if

theycanevenbecalledlives.

Douglassutilizationofzeugmaaidstodemonstratetheabusesandeverydaylife

ofslaveryinamorecrypticmanner,allowingformoreinterpretationofthecruelty

happening,whilestillcominguponthebasicideaofsuchcruelty.Theycameupon

feelingsofhelplessnessandbleakness:Wefelt,andveryproperlytoo,thatwehad

almostaswellbeslavestomanastorum.Manyslaveownersallowedtheirslavesto

goonholidayattheendoftheyearasawaytoappeasetheslaves.Duringthisperiod,

theslavestendedtodrinkveryheavily,andnotdomuchmore.Douglasslaysdowna

rhetoricalquestionofsorts,wonderingwhotheirmasterreallyis.Ittakesalongperiod

ofadeprivationofselftocometothispoint,suchasbeingsubjectedtoslavery,then

becomingintoxicatedonceayear.Theuseofzeugmaaimstohavethereaderquestion

theuseofthequote,andexamineitsstructure.Again,alongthelinesofthedeprivation

ofself,slavesareoftenleftinastateoflonelinessordepression,evenafterhaving

beenfreed:Iwasnowlefttomyfate.Iwasallalone,andwithinthewallsofastone

prison.Havingknownnothinginhislifebutslavery,Douglassisleftwiththefeelingof

beingstuckinaprison,whileinaway,hehasthekeyinhisownhand.Itisoverthese

manyyearsofbeingaslave,hehasbecomeacclimatedtoworkingforabsolutely

nothinginreturn.Evenafterbeingfreed,hestillfeelscompelledtopaythemoney

earnedbacktohismaster.Thepsychologicaltraumathatslaveryhasbroughtupon
Douglasswillbeeverlasting,andtheeffectsofsuchdehumanizationwillbeeternalfor

him.

Overall,throughtheconstantabuseanddisgustingtreatmentoftheslaves,

FrederickDouglasssuccessfullybringstolightthehypocrisyofthepiousslave

owners..Throughthis,thedehumanizingeffectsofslaveryareclear,andfirstperson

experiences,parallelism,andzeugma,aimtoimprovethat.