Article Analysis Essay on "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?"

Introduction

This article was written about the humorous speech delivered by Frederick Douglass, a former American slave during the celebrations of the American Independence Day held at Rochester in New York, 1852. Douglass (2019) claims that the independent day was merely meant for the whites alone to enjoy rather than for all people in the United States of America since the black Americans were still detained in slavery while the whites enjoyed the life of freedom at the Independence Day Celebrations (6).

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Frederick applies a big deal of pathos to demonstrate the gravity of his appeal to the people of America especially the whites concerning the freedom for which they participate. In his pathos, Frederick uses mostly the emotional appeals to drive his points into the very hearts of the whites so that they may see the injustice they levy onto the enslaved Black Americans back in their homes (Douglass 23).

If you listen to or read his speech, he chooses words very carefully, accompanied by a very emotional tone and imagery that can easily provoke people's emotional response to the topic of the speech. Based on his speech, Frederick designed his words, repetition, figurative language, and the rhetorical questions to provoke the main theme of shame among his white listeners. His words were carefully chosen to cut through even the emotions and the spirit of his listeners.

Frederick calls out to the congregation and says, "Look all you hypocrites, why do you gather in this place with joy celebrating the Independence Day while your country is built on slavery?" By saying these words, Frederick calls to the attention of his listeners so that they may get it well what he had to tell them (Douglass 23). Given the terms used above, it was undeniable that everyone in that gathering might have paid close attention to what Frederick was trying to put across to them. Without forgetting his great oration talent during that period, this means of the rhetorical question was just amazing and admirable.

Launching deeper into his speech, here is another part he composed so emotionally that someone could even break in tears. It goes, "Your greatly considered freedom is only a rift between us. You enjoy blessings this day, yet not everyone is at ease. Bequeathed upon you are the rich inheritance of prosperity, justice, independence, and liberty flowing from your fathers, yet you alone can make sense of what they are, not myself. What you have ever considered light in your life has become devastating darkness to me. Therefore, the joy of the fourth of July only belongs to you, not me."

It is an emotional voice; it is really a carefully chosen words, phrases, imagery, alliteration, and tones to inflict the emotional acuity even to the hard-hearted man. The speech rings with emotional tones that depict the real suffering of the common people who are the black Americans enslaved in the homes of the white Americans (Douglass 13). Frederick's advocacy, therefore, comes at the most right time when the people needed the move the most, sending the notions o awareness to all American citizens and trying to get the real roots of freedom where all people will have the comfort they need as a people of the united country.

Douglass notes that he is engrossed in the game of shame and could not restate what was clear. To emphasize his points, Douglass says the following words. "Such times when the hearts are loaded with filthy irony, many arguments become unnecessary. I wish I could reach the country's cold ear; I would pour out to it the torrents of ridicule, an extremely stern rebuke, withering sarcasm, and the blast of reproach."

In saying the words in the paragraph above, Frederick desired that the Americans could wholly make the exact meaning of what slavery entailed that they would turn around from their previous means of exploiting the black Americans and embrace the fairness of love, the joy of peace, and the feeling of freedom. Frederick's main concern was to get attention to the people's heart not through the brains. Convincing the heart was, therefore, the main discussion, while others follow.

Frederick Douglass proceeds to unveil yet more rhetorics to his audience. He says, "We need fire, not light. Thunder, not a gentle shower. Threesome necessities including the earthquake, the storm, and the whirlwind. The nation should adopt a radical feeling, aroused mind, the startled propriety, expose the hypocrisy, and denounce the terrible crimes against both man and God." Here, it is quite humorous for what Frederick, having come from the very bottom of "hell" is calling. The heavy use of imagery, alliteration, and emotional cues reflect the absolute gravity of what slavery means to the people who are enslaved (Douglass 34). Frederick calls for radical action. The action that shall break the chains of bondage. The radical action throughout the United States of America such that all people residing within its boundaries would feel the real shaking coming from the momentum at which it is set (Douglass 18).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Frederick Douglass' speech is heavily ladened with rhetorical devices that holds the real compulsion of the Americans to rise against slavery. In his speech, Douglass uses various rhetorical devices such as metaphors, alliteration, rhetorical questions, emotional tones, and the carefully chosen words to drive his points into the very hearts of the Americans compelling them of the need to abolish slavery.

Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?." July 5 (2019): 1852.