Choose one passage or paragraph from chapters 3-4 of Douglass' narrative. Locate the use of ethos, pathos, or logos within the passage and write a brief response reviewing the effect of the persuasive appeal. Is it persuasive and why?

In the second paragraph of chapter 4 Frederick Douglass talks about a new overseer named Mr. Gore. Most of this paragraph uses a great deal of pathos. Frederick Douglass uses his actual life experience with Mr. Gore, evoking feelings of pity and compassion for the plight of all slaves. Douglas said, about Mr. Gore “he was one of those who could torture the slightest look, word, or just your, on the part of the slave, into impudence, and would treated accordingly”. You cannot help but feel sorry for any slave that would get on the wrong side of Mr. Gore. Esther Gore was cruel and severely punished his slaves for no apparent reason. You cannot help but have compassion for the poor human beings being so mistreated.

 

Frederick Douglas also uses ethos in this chapter because, of course, he lived this experience firsthand. He establishes the facts about Mr. Gore because he has direct personal experience with mistreatment at his hand. Frederick Douglass is particularly persuasive in this chapter. The reader is meant to understand the hopelessness and confusion slaves must of felt to be punished for no reason at all times of any day with no hope of their situation changing in any way.