Frederick Douglass Parallel Structure

Improved Essays
Narrative: Douglas
What kinds of knowledge about themselves does Douglass believe are kept from slaves, and why does he believe this is important?
What does he believe are some of the worse consequences of masters' siring of children on their slaves?
What explanation does Douglass give for the singing of slaves? What features does he ascribe to the songs he heard? How do you interpret the refrain he reproduces? ("I am going away to the Great House Farm!/ O, yea! O, yea! O!")

In the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave” many aspects of slavery are discussed and explored. Douglass believes that the knowledge of birthdates is kept from the slaves. He believes that this is important because white children were able to
…show more content…
Lincoln begins his speech by reminding his audience about this event because the Declaration of Independence was the first action towards freedom, just as Civil War was also a “new birth of freedom” (Lincoln). Lincoln mentions the dead soldiers because he hopes that they will inspire the audience to devote themselves to the cause of “the birth of freedom” as the soldiers did. Throughout the speech, Lincoln uses parallelism to emphasize several key ideas. One example of this parallel structure is the following : “...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” (Lincoln). The parallel pattern here is all of the phrases that include “the people” that are preceded by prepositions. This use of parallel structure emphasized that the government was dedicated to the …show more content…
This poem is a metaphor that memorializes Lincoln’s life and works, specifically, the impact of his life on the nation as well os grief over his loss. They style of the poem is that it places emphasizes the feelings of the narrator. It places focus on parts of the President's life that impacted the nation. This can be seen in the beginning of the poem when Whitman describes the victory of the Civil War. In addition, Whitman describes has bouquets and wreaths ready for the “Captain”, indicating how much the nation cared for him and grieved over this

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In the narrative of Frederick Douglass titled “The Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass who is the son of a slave women and unknown white man explains his experience as a slave. As a young child Douglass experiences the cruel reality of slavery. Douglass states, “The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. I was not allowed to make any inquires of my master concerning it” (Douglass 15).…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frederick Douglass had strong views on Christianity. Frederick spoke about many slaveholders who were religious and used it to be barbaric. Captain Thomas Auld, one of Douglass’s masters, attended a church in Maryland and became a “pious” man, who used his new religion, Christianity, to be even more vicious and brutal towards his slaves. He believed that if a slave master was a man of Christianity he was automatically more full of hate towards slaves than a non-religious slaveholder. “...I, therefore hate the corrupt slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land… I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of frauds, and the grossest of all libels.”…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Slavery was practiced in the United States from the time it was brought over in the 1600s until its abolishment in the mid 1800s. Many were in favor of slavery for a variety of reasons such as kept houses, childcare, yard work, and so forth. Although there were many in favor of the practice, there were also others who were opposed to it because the practice was inhumane. Three particular theorists expressed their feelings about slavery through compelling writings exclaiming that the practice should cease to exist because it violates human rights. The three theorists are Frederick Douglass, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexis Tocqueville.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frederick Douglass used his own life experiences to highlight the effects of slavery on society and how he discovered the pathway to freedom. He discussed how slavery was the deprivation of knowledge from slaves in order to manipulate them into thinking that slavery was the only option for them. Throughout his lifetime in slavery, he was exposed to various events that helped him form an idea of freedom. Douglass believed freedom was achieved by granting knowledge and education of the tyrannical practice of slavery to slaves so that they might be able to break through its bonds. Douglas’s definitions and meanings behind them were critical for the advancement of abolition during this time, such that abolition might not have happened in the manner it did without…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Within the text “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” written in 1845, is the autobiographical account of Fredrick Douglas’s life as a slave which also gives insight into how the 1845th African American slave was marginalized at the time. Before the abolishment of slavery in 1865, the actions responsible for marginalizing slaves in 1845 can be depicted through several accounts in Douglas’s autobiography and regarded as a general picture into how other slaves were neglected at the time through actions such as the withholding of birthdates from slaves, separation from their parents, constant beating of slaves and keeping slave’s illiterate. The marginalization and silencing of slaves is also depicted by Douglass through…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass uses contrast, parallelism, imagery, allusions, and details to enhance the wickedness of slavery. He recalled all of his experiences in the mid-1800s as an educated man trapped in slavery. His journey guided him to become one of the most influential writers during the period of slavery. He was an extremely important slave because he was one of the few slaves that was highly educated and was aware of the unfair situation that he and the fellow slaves was trapped in. In his narrative, Frederick Douglass uses many literary devices to accurately portray his experiences as a slave, including contrast, parallelism, imagery, allusions, and details.…

    • 1919 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The life of a former slave Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos to unveil the heinous truths of slavery from a more credible point of view. These three modes of persuasion are used effectively throughout The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by giving descriptive scenarios and showing valid knowledge of events going on during the time period. By the information given by Douglass, it creates a realistic idea of how slavery was really like then, compared to what is said today. Pathos is shown to the most effective appeal Douglass uses because, it gives more insight on the effects of being a slave and the way they were treated. Logos is the literary device used to convince readers by using reason or logic.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Frederick Douglass autobiography called “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” he talks about how he learned to read and writing, what it means to him. And how the slaves master didn’t want the slave knowing how to read and write because that would give them power and if the slave got power they would be equal has white Americans. He also talks about freedom how he makes himself free by learning how to read and write but he’s not fully free yet because African American are still slaves and at the day of the day he is still an African American. Douglass use all three of modes make his argument ethos, logos, and pathos that’s what make his argument strong.…

    • 1343 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Genius of Fredrick Douglass Fredrick Douglass was an African American slave in the eighteen hundreds who battled his entire life to become a free man, his narrative gave readers the chance to gain insight into what happens to slaves in their country. The narrative showed that he always had a burning will for knowledge because Douglass knew that having knowledge is freedom, and that is what he wanted. Fredrick is one of the great minds in the history of The United States unfortunately the society of the era held this great man back from being properly schooled. He knew that slavery was almost a game in a sense and that he had to wait until the right moment to make his move for freedom.…

    • 1693 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Douglass wants readers to understand how the power of knowledge was key to overcoming the terrible tribulations of slavery. Countless of times Douglass thought acquiesce was the only was he was going to make it though slavery alive. Instead the thought of freedom was overpowering. With the use of imagery, symbolism, and situational irony, he shines light on his unimaginably, gruesome, dehumanizing experience as a slave; allowing readers to undergo his journey to becoming educated with him.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In chapter six From Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass , Douglass focuses on how slavery has affected not just the slaves, but also the slave-owners themselves. In addition, he explains how slavery changes people behaviors. Also, he talks about women. He analyze White women in general and then talks about Sophia specifically. He think that all people are victims in slavery, but they are different in the degree of suffering.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Literacy is the defining term that differentiated slaves from their masters. Slaves were kept from any connection or exposure to literacy, more or less reading and writing. In addition, by keeping them in constant mental neglect, the masters ensued their predominate power and wealth across the south in a time of prejudice and racial ideologies. As a result of becoming self-aware and knowledgeable of slavery’s demeanor and its injustices, Douglass contradicts the status quo in the South. This knowledge consists of the evident cruelties in slavery and how the masters hid themselves behind the justifications of their actions through religion and law.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Frederick Douglass Thesis

    • 1689 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Frederick Douglass once said “knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave”. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass written by Frederick Douglass is about his origins and how he escaped the cruelty of slavery, to become the literate speaker that advocated for the abolishment of slavery. Douglass was born into slavery on the plantation of Captain Anthony in Tuckahoe, Maryland, and was quickly thrust into the hell that was slavery. Douglass spent his youth up until early adulthood toiling under the whip of multiple masters, until he finally escaped in September 1838, and was able to tell his story, criticizing slavery in hopes of achieving abolition. Douglass’ criticisms of the dehumanizing cruel and inhumane institution of slavery implies…

    • 1689 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    When people of our time think of people that inspire others they think of Musicians, NBA player, NFL player, actors, actress, models, and other people like them. However, rarely you do have some individuals who actually inspired by the people that have come before us. I am talking about hundreds of years before us, like Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln. After reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass I found out that were very inspirational people of their time. In other words I like to call them pioneers of the new America.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    General McArthur World Literary Types Matthew Bardowell 12/8/17 Essay #2 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is an autobiography of a mans life as a slave and how he became the person he is today. This narrative starts with Frederick as a little boy. It describes his experience as a child.…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays