Express how the use of diction and structure help achieve the purpose of Chapter 4 in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. How do these...

Douglass
structures this chapter by moving from a general recounting of the deeds of an overseer, Mr.
Gore, who was considered an exemplary slave manager in eyes of the white community, to more
specific accounts of individual incidents in which slaves suffered, with an emphasis on the
unprosecuted murders of slaves.

Douglass'sis precise and erudite but clear.
He writes using a balanced, eighteenth century prose style. While passion comes through in some
of his word choices, such as "barbaric," the detached diction puts Douglass at a
distance from what he is describing. This is an effective device, as it allows the reader space
to feel the emotions Douglass steps back from. An example of his measured prose would be as
follows, outlining the character of Mr. Gore:

He was cruel
enough to inflict the severest punishment, artful enough to descend to the lowest trickery, and
obdurate enough to be insensible to the voice of a reproving conscience.

The word choices are harsh and emotional:...