Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

In the book, Narrative of the flavour-time of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass chronicles his break ones back life during the mid(prenominal) 1800s. By informing his readership of the realities and cruelties of break ones backry, Douglass seeks to persuade northerlyers to receive involved in the emancipationist effect. He accomplishes this purpose by delivering his message done egress the entirety of the book hard workerry is nocent to all in all participants with the effective utilization of ethos, logos, and condolence.The deuce-ace works to support his thesis, and this support thusly aids Douglass overall purpose. Although each of the combative devices is effective, the or so powerful component is shame, which is a quality that evokes pity or affliction. distant ethos or logos, poignancy speaks directly to the readers, in this case the northwesterly, and profoundly licks their emotions and thoughts on the electric issuelet of slavery. There fore, pathos is the roughly effective dodge in Douglass yarn because it accomplishes the authors purpose by sufficiently delivering his message, through with(predicate) the human beingipulation of emotions to Northern readers.Ethos is without a doubtfulness an app arnt strategy throughout Douglass chronicle in item, the entire book is ethos. Douglass life was, at the time, living trial impression of the cruelties of slavery. He tears advantage of this fact in his narrative and describes al intimately every detail, being true to leave out names whom he did not intend to offend or embarrass, and brings to reality the treatment of slaves in the 1800s. In addition, Douglass incorporates bring ups to the Bible, often relating slaves lives to peoples lives in Biblical times. For example, My consort Nathan Johnson (of whom I can say with a grateful come acrosst, I was hungry, and he gave me tenderness I was thirsty, and he gave me drink I was a stranger, and he took me in). Th is is a reference to Matthew 2535, which discusses the importance of sympathize with for other(a)s, even strangers.Douglass includes this passage to compare Nathan Johnson to a humble, selfless man that would care for anyone. Furthermore, the reference supports Douglass credibility as an educated man of God and a reliable non-fiction author. only if because he was once a slave, unplanned of freedom and all its blessings, including education, it did not divulge him from brilliantly writing his narrative through which he sufficiently proves his credibility by means of correct grammar, references to the Bible and other highly respected pieces of literature, and the simple fact that he was once a slave and and then contains the most reliable information. However, ethos is not the most effective strategy on his readers it does not support his purpose or heart and soul as much as pathos does.Logos is also a strategy used throughout the entirety of the book, simply because it is a n arrative of Douglass life, therefore it must be composed of non-fiction occurrences. He includes as much detail as he can, but he leaves out particular names and happenings in redact to prevent embarrassment of the individual or even potential consequences. Despite his restrictions, Douglass tranquillize includes amazing thoroughness and accuracy. For example, I left stamp down Thomass house, and went to live with Mr. Covey, on the 1st of January, 1833. He uses three particular(prenominal) details in one midget sentence, which just shows the reader his incredible repositing and accuracy. Although his precision within the book is quite impressive to the Northern readers, the simple facts do not supply them with Douglass deeper meaning, that slavery is noisome to all participants.Rather, logos perpetrates the readers the direct happenings of his slave life, but it does not reach out to the Northerners emotions, humans weakness and main influence to take action, to the extent pathos does. pity is a strategy in melodic line that aims to draw pity or drearness from the audience or reader, and it is often the most persuasive tool to accomplish a purpose. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass uses a generous amount of pathos in order to persuade his Northern readers to cash in ones chips involved in the abolitionist kick the bucketment. He accomplishes this purpose by including no-count incidences he dictum or experienced himself. For example, Douglass tells the story of his Aunt Hester being punish with a whipping, He commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red inventorycame dripping to the floor.I was so terrorisethat I hid myself in a closet. This verbal description of the first time he saw someone whipped is drawn out in detail purposefully Douglass wants the reader to plunge in the narrative and let his/her emotions revolt them toward pity for slaves and hatred of slavery. He includes n umerous other descriptions like this, but they all have the same purpose. Emotion drives many an(prenominal) peoples actions, and Douglass wants to persuade his Northern audience to become active in the abolitionist movement by letting their emotion take over. Pathos also brings out the meaning of the essay by explaining cruel experiences, Douglass includes proof of his meaning, that slavery is harmful to both the slave and the slaveholder.Northerners are persuaded by this meaning and change by the traumatic incidences in the book, and are driven to involve themselves in the move to abolish slavery. Pathos is therefore the most effective strategy that encourages Northern readers to obey through with Douglass purpose. Douglass utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos in a brilliant way, but it is acceptable to aver that pathos had the largest effect on the readers of the North in the 1800s. While ethos and logos give the author credibility and information to discuss, pathos affects the reader directly.It becomes tiresome to hear of guileless facts, like moving from passkey to master or plantation to plantation. The readers want to hear of excitement, so when Douglass talks about sad topics, it involves the reader, as well as affects their sight of slavery. By taking advantage of pathos and the readers impressionable emotions, Douglass conveys his message and fulfills his purpose, and therefore, pathos is the most effective strategy in his book. whole works CitedDouglass, Frederick, and Houston A. Baker. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England Penguin, 1982. Print.