Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Frederick Douglass was many things; he was a former slave, abolitionist, and impressive writer. Despite having his early years plagued by abuse and hardships like any other slave, he was able to overcome these hardships and was able to become a free slave by escape. What sets him apart from other slaves however, is that he was able to write with such power and become an example for his people. This is reflected in his autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. As Douglass recounts the story of his years as a slave and his journey to escape the hold of his masters he uses rhetorical strategies such as metaphors, personification, and polysyndetons to give the reader of his story a vivid description of what his life was like when he was still a slave. In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Douglass uses metaphors to describe the cruel treatment of slaves at Colonel Lloyd’s plantation. An example of this would be the categorization of slaves at Colonel Lloyd’s plantation after the former masters of the estate had passed away. At this time, Douglass was sent to live with his master’s brother but was brought back to be valued with the other property for the new heirs of the estate. At this
Douglass uses metaphors, symbolism, and polysyndetons to give a description of what his life was like during his time as a slave. Douglass is able to achieve this because he possessed a desire to learn when he was still a slave and he pressed on despite the difficulties at hand. As a result, Douglass has become one of the most well-known abolitionist speakers and brilliant former-slave writers in African-American history. In this story, Douglass uses his impressive writing skills to recount his experiences as a slave and during his escape to