Wanex 5-2
The Wrongfulness of Slavery
Frederick Douglass’s famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” is a powerful speech focused on the hypocrisy of actions of the United States and how they lead to the development of slavery. He specifically argues that the holiday of the Fourth of July, meant to celebrate the freedom and independence that the United States gained from Britain, was actually a mockery of slaves, who lived in bondage. He believes that it is a celebration of ideals unobtainable by the oppressed, and utilizes several strategies to convince his potentially-resistant audience to put an end to the slave system. His utilization of loaded language while describing the hardships of slavery as well as his description of personal stories when he was …show more content…
Near the middle of the paper, Douglass begins by stating that there is no man alive who fails to understand that slavery is a negative event for him. He goes on to angrily list characteristics of the horrible lives that these enslaved blacks live; as explained, “What, am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty… to beat them with sticks, to clay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with iron… to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters?” The incorporation of charged terms such as “rob,” “beat,” and “starve” are purposely implemented to draw feelings of sadness and sympathy from the audience. Forced to come to the realization that slaves live hellish lifestyles, it begins to resonate within them that such experiences are inhuman and morally wrong, leading them to lean towards ideas of abolition. Douglass also goes on to describe his own experiences as a former slave. As explained, “I was born amid such sights and scenes. To me the
The Wrongfulness of Slavery
Frederick Douglass’s famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” is a powerful speech focused on the hypocrisy of actions of the United States and how they lead to the development of slavery. He specifically argues that the holiday of the Fourth of July, meant to celebrate the freedom and independence that the United States gained from Britain, was actually a mockery of slaves, who lived in bondage. He believes that it is a celebration of ideals unobtainable by the oppressed, and utilizes several strategies to convince his potentially-resistant audience to put an end to the slave system. His utilization of loaded language while describing the hardships of slavery as well as his description of personal stories when he was …show more content…
Near the middle of the paper, Douglass begins by stating that there is no man alive who fails to understand that slavery is a negative event for him. He goes on to angrily list characteristics of the horrible lives that these enslaved blacks live; as explained, “What, am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty… to beat them with sticks, to clay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with iron… to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters?” The incorporation of charged terms such as “rob,” “beat,” and “starve” are purposely implemented to draw feelings of sadness and sympathy from the audience. Forced to come to the realization that slaves live hellish lifestyles, it begins to resonate within them that such experiences are inhuman and morally wrong, leading them to lean towards ideas of abolition. Douglass also goes on to describe his own experiences as a former slave. As explained, “I was born amid such sights and scenes. To me the