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Rhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass

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As a slave, Frederick Douglass faced many challenges. Throughout his autobiography, however, he tends to understate his struggles, and use a more factual tone. Even so, there are a few instances where he clearly displays passion and emotion. The contrast in his use of language reflects the contrast in his state of mind through either a lack of emotion or a great deal of passion, the combination of which shows his internal conflicts. In the first three paragraphs, Douglass’ writes about some of the difficulties he faced as a slave, although his leisurely tone conveys little emotion. In these paragraphs, Douglass writes long, winding sentences, containing many details and a great deal of imagery. He mentions slave-breaker Mr. Covey, who was extremely
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