One example in which
Douglass appeals to sentiment and emotion is in the first chapter. In this excerpt, he speaks
about being separated from his mother at a young age. He writes:
My mother and I were separated when I was but an infantbefore I knew her as my mother.
It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from
their mothers at a very early age.
His parting from his
mother is tragic, and his retelling of this separation is intended to point out the evils of
slavery to the white readership of his book. His appeal to sentiment is intended to convince the
reader of the evils of slavery, which includes the practice of tearing vulnerable children from
their mothers at a young age.
Later, in chapter 10, Douglass discusses the
harsh treatment he receives as a field hand under the barbaric Mr. Covey. When Douglass is in
chains, he is within sight of the Chesapeake Bay, and he sees the sailboats in the bay. He
writes of this sight: "You are loosed...
No comments:
Post a Comment