Narrative Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

1203 Words5 Pages
Through idealism, Frederick Douglass’ aspiration of freedom is granted through perseverance in order to escape adversity, in a time where racial segregation is all too common. However, regardless of his location, he is faced with inner turmoil which leads to his own self-discovery where he must come to amends within himself and with society. In the passage from “The Narrative of Frederick Douglass,” his compelling presentation of self is discovered and portrayed by brash imagery, colloquial diction, and meaningful syntax that reveal that hardships never really disappear, but merely take on new forms. As Douglass reminisces his journey into the new free land, he displays the inner turmoil felt as the harshness of reality makes itself present.…show more content…
The stark differences between how he explains freedom and slavery uses powerful words, which illustrates his insight- the blessedness of freedom being upheld to holy standards while the wretchedness of slavery being viewed for people who are immoral. Through the use of diction, he gives the heart breaking impression of the hardships when alone in times of need. The use of these words makes it hard to believe he survived the “tortures of slavery,” and shows colloquial diction that is associated with it, which represents the adamant nature he has against returning. When arriving in the north, he was embraced by the “highest excitement” he had ever felt, where we can also conclude that this is where a new part of his life starts. The euphemistic diction also directly correlates to the passage; the harsh sounding words he describes the south with echo the kind of life in that region. According to Douglass, during the journey up to there and even from thereon, he feels as if he was “in pursuit” of one form or
Open Document