Rhetorical Analysis Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July

Rhetoric Project: Written Analysis Fredrick Douglass, in his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” exhibits a prime example of effective rhetoric. In examining the effectiveness of rhetoric, it is essential to seek out the invention, arrangement, and style of the given speech. In section nine of Douglass’ speech, Douglass specifically emphasizes the past as a call to action for his audience. Speaking to a group of abolitionists, Douglass utilizes rhetoric to display the purpose behind abolition and why it is necessary for his northern crowd. In Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Aristotle explains that “Persuasion… should be achieved by what the speaker says, not by what people think of his character before he begins to speak” (Supplement,

Section nine displays Douglass’ speech as a whole to be grounded in the present, apart from his audience’s ancestors, as a call to action for abolitionists. Douglass’ use of invention in section nine addresses the issue of acting on slavery immediately, in a deliberative genre. As Douglass argues the abolitionists cannot rely on the past for help, he asserts the importance of acting now, for gain in the future. Douglass explains in section nine that “You have no right to enjoy a child’s share in the labor of your fathers, unless your children are to be blest by your labors. You have no right to wear out and waste the hard-earned fame of your fathers to cover your indolence.” In denying the use of the abolitionist’s fathers for their own benefit, Douglass is presenting a deliberative genre. This genre, in the form of an assembly, persuades his audience to act in the present, for hope in the future. Furthermore, Douglass’ issue at hand, of convincing his audience to avoid dwelling in their father’s actions, describes a translative status. The translative status is apparent through Douglass’ opinions that “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future. To all inspiring motives, to noble deeds which

Throughout section nine of Douglass’ speech, he most clearly presents logos to prove his status. Douglass presents examples in the past and the present as to why men rarely carry on the work of their ancestors. First, Douglass describes that “It was fashionable, hundreds of years ago, for the children of Jacob to boast, we have “Abraham to our father,” when they had long lost Abraham’s faith and spirit.” Douglass supports his claim through evidence, presenting logos. Secondly, Douglas provides his audience with a more recent example of logos. He explains that “Washington could not die till he had broken the chains of his slaves. Yet his monument is built up by the price of human blood, and the traders in the bodes and souls of men should – “We have Washington to our father.”” In providing evidence that men seldom carry out the virtues of their fathers, Douglass most clearly present logos in supporting the status. Presenting his speech to a group of northern abolitionists, Douglass’ character is well known even before giving his famous speech, explaining why there is a smaller use of ethos