What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
speech by Frederick Douglass
1. Rhetoric is the art of using language persuasively and effectively. One area of rhetoric is known as ethos,
which is the Greek word for “character.” It is an appeal that relies on the credibility of the speaker. Read
lines 1-8 and explain how Douglass establishes his credibility—or ethos—to speak on the topic.
2. Reread the first paragraph of the speech and point out words associated with freedom. What is Douglass
trying to establish by repeatedly using words associated with freedom?
3. Writers use rhetorical devices to make their arguments more powerful. One type of rhetorical device is the
rhetorical question.—a question posed to the audience that the speaker does not expect or intend for the
audience to answer. Read lines 9-14 and identify the rhetorical questions. What purpose do the rhetorical
questions serve at this point in the speech?
4. Another area of rhetoric that speakers use is pathos, which means “suffering” or “experience” in Greek.
This is an appeal to the audience’s emotions, especially sympathy. Writers sometimes use allusions in order to
create sympathy. Identify the story that Douglass refers to in lines 31-49 and explain why he refers to this
story.
5. Another way speakers appeal to pathos is through their diction, or choice of words. For example, Douglass
uses the word hideous in line 60, which has a much more negative connotation than words with a similar
meaning, such as ugly. Look at lines 60-67 and record other examples of words with strong connotations.
What emotional response are these words intended to evoke in listeners?
6. According to Douglass, how does Virginia law help show that slavery is wrong? What are some of the
assumptions, or premises, of Virginia law about African Americans?
What type of argument is Douglass making in this section of the text: an appeal to ethos, logos, or pathos?
7. The final way speakers appeal to an audience is through logos, which means “reason” in Greek. In this appeal
to an audience’s logic and reasoning, a speaker supports his or her claim with reasons and evidence such as
facts, examples, and statistics. Read lines 72-81; paraphrase Douglass’s reasoning and explain his point.
8. Deductive reasoning is a form of logic through which one establishes a general principle and then moves to
specifics. Analyze Douglass’s argument in lines 87-96. What is the general principle that Douglass is setting
forth?
How does this general principle apply to the specific facts he names?
9. How does Douglass use diction in lines 123-130 to create an appeal to pathos?
10. When making appeals to pathos, speakers often use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to
make their points. Reread lines 139-141 and identify a metaphor within the lines. What two things are being
compared in the metaphor?
What is the effect of this metaphor?
11. In addition to rhetorical questions, Douglass also uses a rhetorical device called antithesis—presenting
contrasting ideas in parallel structures. (Example: “Give me liberty, or give me death.”) How does Douglass
use antithesis in lines 150-153?
12. Analyze lines 161-166 and use text evidence to determine which kind of appeal (ethos, logos, or pathos)
Douglass is primarily using.