Frederick Douglas

Even though the language style that Douglass uses is stilted to us, the techniques are usually straightforward. His primary objective is to make us comprehend him and his predicaments as a slave in Master Hugh’s family. He wants the readers to understand him; therefore, he refrains from using complicated and very long sentences. He also tries to speak informally just as though it were you and him. However, he still uses extreme language which is elevated hence part of the passage seems hard to comprehend (Losh et al. 25). It seems though as he wants to emulate the style adopted in King Jame’s version, which is a book that every reader seems to familiarize with. He also shows off to some extent since he wants us to know that he fought so hard to attain his knowledge in reading and writing. “My mistress who had commenced to instruct me, in compliance, had, with the advice and with the direction of her husband, not only ceased to continue instructing but had set her against my being instructed”(Douglas 191-5). Douglass provides evidence, which expressed his point in describing the slavery and the kinds of right that he was limited to and how he was treated. Words like ‘cased’ indicate what he remembers as he tried to educate himself. He seems to be showing us that he succeeds in his hard-earned education. He is also aware of the limitation that a language can have. He wants to remind us that language cannot adequately capture the pain of the experience he underwent. He is remembered as one of the greatest anti-slavery heroes through his actions and writings.

 

Douglas, Frederick. “Learning to Read.” New York: The Norton Reader, 2008. Print.

Losh, Elizabeth M, Jonathan Alexander, Kevin Cannon, and Zander Cannon. Understanding

         Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing. Boston : Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. Print.