Question

Read the following excerpts from Frederick Douglass' text "What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?" and answer the question that follows.

In a well-written paragraph of 7–10 sentences, identify and evaluate Douglass' use of two rhetorical devices and one rhetorical appeal.

Answer 1

… Fellow-citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, to-day, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them. If I do forget, if I do not faithfully remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, "may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!" To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world. My subject, then, fellow-citizens, is American slavery. I shall see this day and its popular characteristics from the slave's point of view. Standing there identified with the American bondman, making his wrongs mine, I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this 4th of July! Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions of the present, the conduct of the nation seems equally hideous and revolting. America vis false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future. Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery the great sin and shame of America! "I will not equivocate; I will not excuse"; I will use the severest language I can command; and yet not one word shall escape me that any man, whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice, or who is not at heart a slaveholder, shall not confess to be right and just …
…
… At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation's ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages …

Answer 2

I only need the rhetorical devices and appeal.

Answer 3

Frederick Douglass utilizes several rhetorical devices and appeals in his text "What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?" to convey his message effectively. One rhetorical device that he employs is parallelism, wherein he repeats the phrase "What to the Slave" throughout the text, emphasizing the importance of the question. Another rhetorical device that Douglass employs is hyperbole, where he emphasizes the hypocrisy of the Fourth of July celebrations by saying, "This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." Furthermore, Douglass also uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos to evoke the emotions of his audience. He describes the suffering of the slaves and the injustice that they face, making his audience feel empathy and anger towards the slaveholders. Overall, Douglass' use of parallelism, hyperbole, and pathos helps to underscore the central argument of his text and makes it a powerful and unforgettable piece of writing.

Answer 4

Thank you!

Answer 5

MERICA MENTIONED🇺🇸🦅🔔

Answer 6

PFFFT- THAT FIRST PART GOT ME

Answer 7

I'm cackling so bad right now please

Answer 8

I need to close this question before I get in trouble

Answer 9

@zombieblud - You’re more than welcomed to either communicate/message them through DMs above, or either of the chats below. Engaging in unrelated conversations undermines the intended purpose of the post. Please focus discussions on the content at hand.