An American Slave By Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Devices

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass (University of Virginia Library. Web. 15 Dec. 2015) puts readers in a position that allows them to understand the great struggles and misfortunes that came with being an American slave and how Frederick Douglass’ managed to escape from the grasp of slavery and find his own liberating freedom. A daring feat that can be defined by a series of epiphanies, a man’s great determination, and the constant regrowth of a broken man’s soul. From the excerpt, previously shown above, Douglass depicts a vivid image of just how severe the work conditions of slaves were, how difficult it was to please a slave master, and how horribly a man can be ripped of his will. To vividly describe such trying tribulations and convey a devastating and piteous tone, the speaker utilizes numerous language devices, such as a multitude of phrases, sentence structures and types, deep diction, word repetition, and passive voice. Douglass begins

As a loose sentence it gets to the point, point being “My natural elasticity was crushed...:”, first, thusly making the information more upfront like a punch in the face and one in the gut of just how exceedingly Douglass suffers with having his will ripped away from him. The deep diction utilized in the sentence in phrases such as: “my intellect languished”, “the disposition to read departed”, “the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died”, and “the dark night of slavery closed in upon me”, all vividly illustrate and prove how deeply and severely he is influenced by his stay with Mr. Covey and how much of a toll it takes on his being in all