Rhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass Speech

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Frederick Douglass gives a powerful speech reminiscent of a sermon in order to convey the urgency and moral obligation of abolishing slavery. In this passage, Frederick Douglass highlights the significance of the Fourth of July to the slave, which serves as the thesis of his speech. The Fourth of July to slave is nothing more than a cruel reminder of America’s hypocritical practices that preach freedom and liberty but condone slavery for personal profit. Douglass claims that no nation is more “guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody” than American citizens. This personal attack on American citizen’s character and value serve as a critical realization that dismantles white citizens's false sense of self-righteousness, which ultimately
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