Rhetorical Analysis of Frederick Douglass’s What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?
This is a rhetorical analysis on a popular speech from Frederick Douglass. It displays an understanding of how rhetoric is used to persuade an audience, and it looks at key textual evidence to highlight what makes the speech effective.
As a former slave turned statesman, Frederick Douglass had a first-hand understanding of the horrors of the lifestyle of a slave. This is what prompted him to deliver his speech “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?” to a crowd of 500-600 American abolitionists on July 5, 1852 in Rochester, New York. It was during the 1850’s where debates erupted concerning the place of slavery and the freedom of runaway slaves in the newly annexed Northern and Southern states, which is likely what led Frederick Douglass to deliver this speech. Douglass strongly refused to celebrate the Fourth of July until all slaves were emancipated, which is why he chose to deliver his speech on July 5th, the day after the annual celebration of American Independence. His overall purpose in writing this speech was to highlight the injustices he saw in America, as the practice of slavery contradicted what was written in the Declaration of Independence. Along with this, he sought to prove that slaves are members of mankind, and they therefore deserve the same rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Douglass’s delivery of the speech was effective in outlining the injustices of America with his establishment of a strong ethos as well as his use of rhetorical strategies such as rhetorical questions, anaphora, pathos, and logos.
An establishment of a strong ethos was crucial for the success of Douglass’s speech, which he did very well. This can be seen very early on in the speech, as his opening words are “Fellow Citizens…” (Douglass), which establishes that he, as a black man, is capable of holding citizenship, just like his audience. This also reassures his audience that he has respect for them, and he’s willing to address them as a group of his peers. He then moves on to praise the Founding Fathers, saying “The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men too – great enough to give fame to a great age” (Douglass), which makes his audience see that he is patriotic, and that he does not hate America, he only hates the fact that America has failed to live up to some of its founding principles. Douglass praised the founding fathers because they sought to create a nation where all men are given equal rights, but he did not blame them for the nations failure to live up to that principle.
In order to engage the emotions of his audience, Douglass employs pathos along with strong language. He says, “Fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! Whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, today, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them” (Douglass, 2). This quote contains very powerful language, as he starts off by saying “fellow citizens” but then he says, “your national, tumultuous joy,” which implies that while he is an American like them, he does not share their joy, nor does he partake in their celebrations of the Fourth of July. He also paints a picture of slaves who are chained down and miserable and dejected, who hear the cheers of white Americans celebrating their Independence. It is possible that this strong language made his audience feel a sense of pity for the slaves, as they celebrated their freedom, while the slaves remained shackled. Another example of pathos can be seen early on in the speech when he says, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass). In this quote he uses pathos to demonstrate that the Fourth of July for him is not a day of celebration like it is for all white Americans, but a day of grieving for his fellow black men. This is quite effective because he has used words like “my fellow citizens” which shows that he is an American, but to say that the holiday is “yours” shows how he wants nothing to do with the freedom that white Americans possess.
Another rhetorical strategy that Douglass utilizes to engage his audience is rhetorical questioning. At one point in the speech, he begs the question, “Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man?” (Douglass, 2), which is a necessary point for the audience to consider, as it is written in The Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal”. To answer the question he just asked, he uses logos to point out that there are seventy-two crimes in Virginia which if committed by a black man, will subject him to death, while two of the same crimes will subject a white man to the same punishment. After this assertion, he asks “what is this but the acknowledgement that a slave is a moral, intellectual and responsible being?” (Douglass). If Douglass were to blatantly state that “this proves that a slave is a man,” it would make him sound arrogant and he would possibly lose his hold on the audience. However, since he asks this question to the audience, he leaves it to them to consider his points, and likely realize that slaves are in fact members of mankind. To again reaffirm the fact that slaves are members of mankind, he establishes a strong ethos for the race of black men. He says, “while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships… writing and cyphering, acting as clerks, merchants and secretaries, having among us lawyers, doctors, ministers, poets, authors, editors… living in families as husbands, wives and children…we are called upon to prove that we are men” (Douglass). This was an effective portion of the speech because he indicated that black men were capable of doing many of the things that white men could.
To reaffirm his argument that the slave is a man, Douglass uses strong imagery, metaphors, and anaphora, which is the repetition of the same word at the beginning of successive clauses. He says, “When the dogs in your streets, when the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a brute, then will I argue with you that the slave is not a man!” (Douglass). He uses anaphora with the word “when” to create a more dramatic effect which portrays the vast variety of animals that do in fact have the ability to distinguish a black man from a brute. In this context, a “brute” is a savage animal, so saying that any animal is able to distinguish a black man from a brute strengthens Douglass’s claim. Douglass also uses anaphora and metaphors to persuade his audience that actions must be taken to rid the nation of slavery. He says, “for it is not light that is needed, but fire: it is not 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” (Douglass). Since his speech was given to a crowd of abolitionists, they already agreed with the removal of slavery, but here, Douglass was attempting to convince them that if they were going to succeed, they had to fully step up and take action. Another example of metaphor that Douglass uses can be seen early in the speech when he says, “To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman and sacrilegious irony” (Douglass). He uses metaphor when he says the “grand illuminated temple of liberty” which likely refers to America. This is a powerful quote because he highlighted how inhumane it was for slaveowners to force their slaves to join them in celebrating the freedom of their nation, which are freedoms which they don’t possess.
Frederick Douglass’s What to a Slave is the Fourth of July? Speech was packed with rhetorical devices that allowed him to successfully convince his audience that slaves and white Americans are the same. His strong language throughout managed to bring to light the fact that the beliefs of white Americans that “all men are created equal” was completely unjust as black men were enslaved while white men enjoyed every day freedoms. His speech has since left a lasting impact on American society, and it is still widely discussed in American schools.
Works Cited/Help Received
Douglass, Frederick. What to a Slave Is the Fourth of July?1852.
Censky, Abigail. “’What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’ Frederick Douglass, Revisited.” NPR, 5 July 2017, www.npr.org
Douglass, Frederick. “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Owl Eyes, www.owleyes.org
Wikipedia.com
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