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Corruption Of Power Throughout 'The Narrative Of Fredrick Douglass'

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Corruption Of Power Throughout 'The Narrative Of Fredrick Douglass'
Sabrina Rotondo 1
Tellinghuisen Period 6
AP Language and Composition
Explotation of Power Throughout “The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass”

John Alcton, an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer spoke these words of practicality, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. As was spoken in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887. This statement made by Alcton is saying that if one adds power to a character, the character changes for the worst. Corruption of power is a common motive in the Narrative of Fredrick Douglass and demonstrates a multitude of examples of it’s repercussions …show more content…
Although this quote is not from the narrative, it was said by Frederick Douglass in one of his most recognized speeches. This quote even holds true today in certain portions of society. This shows the underlying effects of slavery because it exposes the ignorance of most slave owners and how it lead to the miserable lifestyle of the …show more content…
Parallelism and pathos help to underline his main argument, which is how slavery corrupts the mind of a human into abusing their capabilities. Douglass describes his experiences in a way that lets audiences feel what Douglass felt. For example, Douglass recounts the experience of watching the slaveholder whip his aunt until she was covered in blood and the pleasure the slaveholder seemed to take in it. The graphic description of her abuse makes readers feel the same anger Douglass must have
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