Frederick Douglass Literary Techniques

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Through literary techniques, writers are able to generate stories that arise sympathy and increase understanding of their audience, providing them with the tools necessary to bring change within society. This is demonstrated in Jacob and Douglass’s works as they embody the human correlation in races through their description of the dehumanizing body of slavery. In his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas”, set in the early to middle 1800s in the states of Maryland, New York, New Bedford and Baltimore, Frederick Douglas highlights the cruel aspects of slavery and his transition from a boy into a young man through his escape from slavery, serving as a source of inspiration for former slaves. Similarly in the slave narrative, …show more content…
The first time the contaminating effect appears in the narrative, it is illustrated through Mrs.Auld. When Douglass first meets here she is unaccustomed to the ways of slavery, and thus, had a completely different character than the whites he previously held relationships with. Mrs. Auld gives Douglass his first taste of education. However, slavery corrupted her goodness: The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave gave place to that of demon” (Douglass, 46). Even the pureness of Mrs.Auld could not withstand the dehumanizing powers of slavery. After being having his learning discontinued, Douglass sees literature as a mysterious weapon that could potentially be used to fight slavery. Over the next years, Douglass slowly taught himself to read and write, eventually establishing a Sabbath school in which other slaves were given the opportunity to do the same. Literacy established Douglass as man worthy of freedom and through the use of language he described how, regardless of the adversities faced, he was able to be determined and use literature as a guide to getting …show more content…
Jacobs carefully emphasizes the female slave’s acceptance of the social norms in her desire to remain chaste; sexual relationships outside of marriage were simply immoral and not accepted, implying the similarities between the women in both races. As Dr.Flint’s pursuits become more severe, Jacobs is forced with the code of protection that defy who she is as a person. Curtain that Dr.Flint will not succeed at last and full of shame Linda practically begs for her female audience’s sympathy, “What I am about to relate… I wanted to keep myself pure; and under the most adverse circumstances, I tried hard to preserve my self-respect; but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon of Slavery; and the monster proved too strong for me” (Jacobs, 51). The reality of family separation- which was going on due to Dr.Flint’s obsessiveness, - was one of the very rare topics that created a bond between Linda and the slave audience . By mentioning this, Jacobs makes the melancholic novel more get more support from white females since she is basically letting them know that woman had the same sensitivity and makes them want to provide Linda and other female slaves under the same situation with the support that society wasn’t providing them. After

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