Socratic Seminar: Question #3

Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. Becoming one of the most famous intellectuals of his time, he was an eminent human rights leader in the anti-slavery movement and the first African-American citizen to hold a high U.S. government rank. In his published narrative,  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass orates his audience using fixed details and language.

In his passage, Douglass recapitulates his life and the everyday struggles he faced as a slave. Throughout the passage, he mentions the conspicuously, defamatory Mr. Covey, which he happened to work for while reminiscing the memory of while driving on oxen, he nearly dies twice in just one day precisely as a result of the difficult work he had to consummate as a young boy. He stated he expected, “every moment… my brains would be dashed out against the trees… coming with a few inches of crushing me against the gate-post.” Afterwards, Covey “… took up the hickory slat with which Hughes had been striking off the half-bushel measure… gave Douglass a heavy blow upon the head...blood ran freely.” As this being one of the most crucial and violent acts done by Covey, nonetheless Douglass construes the fleeting moment of which dreams of boats as well as he, “would pour out [his] soul’s complaint and in hope of a “…better day coming.” Although the crucial brutality he’s experienced, Douglass somehow has quite the optimism in him. With this being said, he convinces the suburban white audience, what slavery is really about.

Methods such as juxtaposition are used in these excerpts when Douglass is juxtaposing the emotions along with the actuality of events occurring. While the excerpts illustrate the driving oxen to then the brutality of Covey, it reveals the factual horrendous reality of a slavery. The details throughout the reminisce of Douglass are objective rather than adding a dramatic ambience. He tells it how it is. Devices like this, convinces the audience.

Due to his specifying and factual details, Douglass was known as one of the most influential abolitionists of the 19th century with having the honor of being involved in the Women’s suffrage. With him being on a comparable classification, his eye opening descriptions and illustrations appealed to his audience providing them a first hand point of view. This portrayed the similarity in which Douglass and women shared on wanting a say in the government as well as obtaining equal rights.