Frederick Douglass Emotional Appeal

In history, slavery is regarded as one of America’s largest downfall. Many experiences have been documented to the public by victims of slavery. Two of the most infamous works are Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacob’s Incidents In The Life of A Slave Girl. The novels had a mutual purpose of convincing a White Northern audience of the terrors of slavery in order to finance or join abolition. Douglass uses an emotional appeal and credibility to achieve his purpose. Harriet Jacobs also uses these appeals in her novel. However, Douglass’ narrative is more effective to the reader. Frederick Douglass establishes an emotional appeal by describing violent attacks upon slaves. Douglass illustrates his brother’s experience with a slaveholder, “…took my little brother by the throat, threw him on the ground, and with the heel of his boot stamped upon his head till the blood gushed from

Douglass provides examples to the reader regarding the horrors of slavery. Douglass states, “…blood and brains marked the water where he stood.” The example given by Douglass leaves the reader shocked and horrified. This specific text gives a strong emotional appeal of sympathy and disgust. Jacobs does provide an example of the insensitivity of slaveholders, however; her example is less effective for emotional appeal. Jacob’s statement “My grandmother remained in her service as a slave…” displays that slaveholders did not care the age or importance of a person; all they cared about was that their work was getting done and they did not have to do it themselves. As long as a slave was alive, even in the slightest bit, they remained under the control of their master. Jacobs was held in a place where slaves were cherished, although for the wrong reasons. Douglass lived in a place where slaves were considered worthless and easily killed at the smallest sign of