Language Analysis of Frederick Douglass
When analyzing Frederick Douglass’ use of language to portray his personal idea of the
slave system, Douglass uses several different techniques. These techniques include diction,
details, and several uses of figurative language, and these are used to better understand his
underlying view of slavery as being incredibly inhumane and villainous, and how the slavery
system corrupted the way slaves perceived holidays.
One of the strategies that Douglass utilizes is the use of detail to describe slave
working during the holidays, as quoted: “A slave who would work during the holidays was
considered by our masters as scarcely deserving them” (44). This excerpt illustrates that slave
masters believed …show more content…
Also, working on holidays appeared to the slave
owners as a form of rebellion against them, and that the slave was seeking physical punishment
for doing so. Another example of Douglass’ view of the slave system is his profound diction
while describing the actual need of holidays to the slaves, as stated: “They are professedly a
custom established by the benevolence of the slaveholders; but I undertake to say, it is the result
of selfishness, and one of the grossest frauds committed upon the downtrodden slave” (44). The
use of diction, emphasized mostly by the use of words such as “benevolence” and
“downtrodden”, appeals to that face the these words are related by their meanings. Benevolence,
meaning charitable, is nearly opposite of downtrodden, which means to be suppressed upon. This
illustrates that these holidays, to most slaves, were meant to be established as good idea by
charitable slave holders, but is abused by negligent slave owners, who use this time to further
discriminate and terrorize them. Another example is symbolism involving drinking and liberty,
as quoted: “Thus, when the slave asks for virtuous freedom, the cunning slaveholder,
When analyzing Frederick Douglass’ use of language to portray his personal idea of the
slave system, Douglass uses several different techniques. These techniques include diction,
details, and several uses of figurative language, and these are used to better understand his
underlying view of slavery as being incredibly inhumane and villainous, and how the slavery
system corrupted the way slaves perceived holidays.
One of the strategies that Douglass utilizes is the use of detail to describe slave
working during the holidays, as quoted: “A slave who would work during the holidays was
considered by our masters as scarcely deserving them” (44). This excerpt illustrates that slave
masters believed …show more content…
Also, working on holidays appeared to the slave
owners as a form of rebellion against them, and that the slave was seeking physical punishment
for doing so. Another example of Douglass’ view of the slave system is his profound diction
while describing the actual need of holidays to the slaves, as stated: “They are professedly a
custom established by the benevolence of the slaveholders; but I undertake to say, it is the result
of selfishness, and one of the grossest frauds committed upon the downtrodden slave” (44). The
use of diction, emphasized mostly by the use of words such as “benevolence” and
“downtrodden”, appeals to that face the these words are related by their meanings. Benevolence,
meaning charitable, is nearly opposite of downtrodden, which means to be suppressed upon. This
illustrates that these holidays, to most slaves, were meant to be established as good idea by
charitable slave holders, but is abused by negligent slave owners, who use this time to further
discriminate and terrorize them. Another example is symbolism involving drinking and liberty,
as quoted: “Thus, when the slave asks for virtuous freedom, the cunning slaveholder,