Master of Persuasion (Douglass Ch. 3 & 4)

       Douglass is a very persuasive writer, he conveys many emotions and makes us both understand and sympathize the life of slaves. He does this through the use of Aristotle's ancient rhetorical modes (Ethos, Logos, and Pathos). Ethos is credibility and it convinces by means of the character of the author. Frederick Douglass shows us this because we know that he is a slave who has experienced or been around those who suffer from these unfortunate events. In the previous chapters Douglass tells us that he has been raised in these plantations since birth; therefore it is safe for us to say that he knows the system like the back of his hand.

       Logos is persuasion through reasoning and the use of logic. An example of this is when he says: "I speak advisedly when I say this, - that killing a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community." (Douglass, 37). This quote is pretty much factual and it explains that this is the way the system worked.

       Pathos attempts to convince by means of emotional appeal, it makes the audience feel empathy. Because this is a narration, it is common for pathos to be seen throughout the whole text. Every detail and anecdote strikes us emotionally, it makes us experience great sympathy for the victims. Even the previous quote can be interpreted as pathos; because of the sickening way that society worked, we feel terrible for the slaves and their misfortune. In my opinion, pathos can be the most efficient form of persuasion due to its effect on the audience.