sample rhetorical analysis of Narrative of Frederick Douglass
in the Narrative of Frederick Douglass the author is trying to persuade Americans to stop the practice of slavery. To do this Douglass needs to convice people who are undecided on the issue of abolition to support him. Douglass used graphic detail and personal anecdotes to show that slavery ruined the lives of both the slave and the master.
Douglass describes instances of brutal treatment in his narrative, and the graphic detail of his own experiences would have no doubt affected his readers. He begins his narrative by his account of witnessing his Aunt Hester's severe beating by her master, merely for the crime of seeing a man the master disapproved of. Douglass describes his shock at seeing his aunt's, "warm, red blood dripping to the floor." The fact that Douglass witnessed this at such a young age would have played on the sympathies of his readers. Although this would be Douglass' first introduction to the treatment of slaves by their master, it would be far from his last. He recounts countless experiences of being whipped and the dehumanizing conditions that he and the other enslaved people endured. This treatment left them feeling like "brutes" rather than human beings. For example there is the time that he is sick and he's nearly beaten to death by Covey, "as the dark night of slavery" nearly crushed his soul. He tries to tell Covey that he's too sick to work, yet Covey repeatedly kicks him while he passes out, and when Douglass finally couldn't get up anymore, "Mr. Covey took up the hickory slat and with it gave me a heavy blow upon the head, making a large wound, and the blood ran freely". Logically it would seem slave owners would care about the health of their slaves so that they would be in good shape to do their work, so Douglass runs away to his master to tell him of his mistreatment at the hands of Covey. instead of sympathizing with Douglass, his master tells him to return to Covey "come what may" because "he would lose the whole year’s wages" if he took Douglass away from Covey now. This proves that the masters don't care about Douglass' humanity, thinking of him like another working animal on the farm. The dehumanizing violence would have played on the emotions of a Northern audience. Douglass' graphic descriptions of his mistreatment would have motivated more people to take up the cause of abolition.
Douglass also used anecdotes to show that slavery was just as bad for the master as it was for the slave. Norhern readers would identify with Christian figures, and Douglass deftly weaves the story of many slave-holding Christians to show how slavery warps people and to highlight their hypocrisy. At first Mrs. Sophia Auld had “the kindest heart and finest feelings” toward Douglass. She had never owned a slave before her marriage to Mr. Auld. But Douglass describes how quickly she changed and how “that cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage … and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.” The list of people who "owned" Douglass is a long one, and all of them were cruel - Col. Lloyd, the Aulds, Freeland – but the worst of them was Mr. Covey, a notorious "slave breaker." Covey was the person who bruatlized slaves the most, but what might have appealed to Douglass' audience of White Northerners was also the fact that Covey thought of himself as a religious man. Douglass tells his readers, "For of all slaveholders with whom I have ever met, religious slaveholders are the worst." Douglass' appeal to his readers' morality would have bolstered his argument.
In his narrative Douglass exposes the raw brutality and dehumanization of the institution of slavery. Perhaps even more effectively he lays bare the hypocrisy of a slave-owning Christian. The moral and cognitive dissonance this would have created in sypathizing readers would have persuaded some of those still undecided Northerners in pre-Civil War America. Anecdotes detailing the brutality of slavery at the hands of the master would have appealed to the emotions of his audience, but providing details about the adverse effects of slaveholding and the hypocrisy of a slave owner identifying as a Christian would have had a powerful impact on white Northerners, making them more aware of the insidious nature of slave owning.
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Score: 4/6
• Thesis: 1
• Evidence & Commentary: 2
• Sophistication: 1
Restatement of Task:
You asked for a rubric-based score of an essay analyzing Douglass’s use of graphic detail and personal anecdotes to show slavery’s harms.
Thesis (1/1):
- The thesis (“Douglass used graphic detail and personal anecdotes…”) clearly presents a defensible claim connected to Douglass’s rhetorical strategies. This aligns with the AP rubric for a defensible, relevant thesis.
Evidence & Commentary (2/4):
- Your essay selects relevant evidence—like Aunt Hester’s beating and Sophia Auld’s transformation—and includes brief quotations.
- Commentary is present but leans on summary rather than sustained analysis. You partly explain how evidence appeals to emotions and shifts Northern perspectives, but don’t fully thread a line of reasoning through the essay. Some connections are implicit or underdeveloped.
Sophistication (1/1):
- You address how Douglass’s details impact both slave and master, recognizing complexity and the rhetorical situation. The final sentence hints at audience effects, showing nuance beyond surface summary.
Invitations for Next Steps:
1. Consider focusing commentary further: Why do Douglass’s vivid details matter? How do they intensify reader empathy or alter perceptions of slavery’s moral costs?
2. Develop more on “line of reasoning”: How do different anecdotes build on each other, shaping Douglass’s broader argument about slavery’s corrupting influence?
3. Push sophistication by exploring tensions—how does Douglass’s narrative complicate easy divisions between victim and perpetrator, or suggest deeper social consequences?
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Score: 2/4 (Evidence & Commentary)
Restatement of Task:
You asked for AP rubric-based feedback on the evidence and commentary in the third paragraph about Sophia Auld and Mr. Covey.
Evidence (Specificity):
- You cite Douglass’s transformation of Mrs. Auld and include a direct quote. This is followed by a list of other masters and a Covey quotation. These are relevant, well-chosen details from the text.
Commentary (Depth & Integration):
- The commentary summarizes Douglass’s anecdotes and hints at their emotional effect, but does not fully analyze how each example supports your argument. Explanations are somewhat surface-level, with more summary than synthesis or insight.
Line of Reasoning:
- This paragraph identifies how Douglass’s anecdotes appeal to emotion and logic (especially for a White Northern audience), but the linkage between evidence and the larger argument about slavery’s corrupting force could be clarified and deepened.
Invitations for Next Steps:
1. Instead of listing anecdotes, focus on explaining: How does Mrs. Auld’s transformation symbolize the larger moral decay of slaveholders?
2. Show how Covey’s “religious” hypocrisy enhances Douglass’s larger critique—how do personal stories become evidence of systemic evil?
3. Consider transitions: How does moving from Auld to Covey illustrate a progression in Douglass’s message about the corrosive effects of slavery on all involved?
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Score: 4/6
Thesis: 1 | Evidence & Commentary: 2 | Sophistication: 1
Restated Task:
You’ve crafted an essay analyzing how Frederick Douglass uses detail and anecdote to argue slavery’s destructive effects on both enslaved people and their masters.
1. Thesis
Your opening thesis is clear and defensible: Douglass uses graphic detail and anecdote to show slavery is ruinous for all involved. This earns the thesis point on the AP rubric.
2. Evidence & Commentary
- You include relevant examples—Aunt Hester’s beating, Sophia Auld’s transformation, Mr. Covey’s cruelty—supported by brief quotes and reference to the intended audience’s response.
- To earn a higher score in this category, refine commentary to deeply connect evidence with your argument. Explain not just what happened, but why Douglass’s choices matter rhetorically (how his narrative structure, diction, or tone moves readers).
- There are moments where evidence is summarized rather than analyzed, and where the reasoning chain could be stronger.
3. Sophistication
- You address the rhetorical aims and Northern audience impact, showing contextual awareness. Noting religious hypocrisy and emotional appeal elevates your analysis, meeting the AP expectation for sophistication.
4. Next Steps / Provocations for Growth
- Push commentary further: What specific language choices provoke the strongest reaction? How does Douglass manipulate narrative pace or point of view to heighten impact?
- Consider complexity: Are there moments of ambiguity, tension, or irony in the examples cited? Can you weigh the effects of Douglass’s self-presentation?
- Experiment with sentence structure: Vary syntax for rhetorical effect and clarity.
- Revisit organization: Would combining or splitting some paragraphs increase clarity or highlight a nuanced claim?
- Revise with a metacognitive lens: Which commentary sentences best move you from summary toward interpretation?
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Scoring the essay—AP Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Rubric
Score: Thesis 1 | Evidence & Commentary 3 | Sophistication 0
Total: 4/6
1. Task/Feedback Restatement:
You’ve analyzed Douglass’s use of graphic detail and anecdotes to persuade his audience about the evils of slavery.
2. Thesis
- Score: 1
- Rubric Reference: The essay clearly takes a position by stating Douglass’s intent and rhetorical moves.
- Strength: It’s defensible—there’s a clear linking of strategies to Douglass’s purpose.
- Growth Target: Sharpen the thesis by embedding rhetorical choices (like “graphic detail” and “anecdotes”) and connecting them directly to audience impact in the opening claim.
3. Evidence & Commentary
- Score: 3
- Rubric Reference: Strong, specific evidence with clear, though somewhat repetitive, commentary.
- Strength: Well-chosen quotations and paraphrased examples detail Douglass’s use of violence and change in character to build his argument.
- Growth Target: Commentary sometimes stays at explanation—push further into interpretation, especially regarding Douglass’s larger audience and persuasive effect. For a “4,” consistently Articulate how each rhetorical choice deepens his appeal to Northern readers’ specific values and moral anxieties.
4. Sophistication
- Score: 0
- Rubric Reference: No consistent demonstration of nuanced complexity or broader rhetorical context.
- Strength: Allusions to audience and emotional impact begin to reach for sophistication.
- Growth Target: Integrate a layer of complexity, such as acknowledging how Douglass’s exposure of hypocrisy compels both moral and cognitive dissonance in readers, or by reflecting on the implications/limitations of his approach.
5. Next Steps (Invitations for Revision)
- Where could your thesis show more specificity about Douglass’s rhetorical approach, not just his message?
- Try a sentence frame: “Douglass’s use of ______ and _____ appeals to his readers’ sense of _____ by…”
- Revisit commentary: How does the choice of anecdote or graphic detail shift your own understanding, not just the audience’s?
- Challenge yourself to identify one moment of tension or irony Douglass creates (e.g., “religious slaveholders”) and reflect on its larger significance for white Northern audiences.
- How might you briefly acknowledge why Douglass’s strategies might not convince everyone, hinting at complexity?
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Overall Score: 4/6
- Thesis: 1/1
- Evidence & Commentary: 2/4
- Sophistication: 1/1
1. Restating the Task:
You asked for a score using the AP Language and Composition rubric for a rhetorical analysis of Douglass’s Narrative.
2. Thesis (1/1):
- Meets the AP rubric’s demand for a defensible thesis.
- You present a clear claim: Douglass uses graphic detail and anecdotes to expose the destructive power of slavery on all involved.
3. Evidence & Commentary (2/4):
- You select good moments from the text and quote relevant passages.
- Some explanation connects the evidence to Douglass’s persuasive goals.
- Commentary is often descriptive; at times it slips into summary (e.g., listing events; describing Covey), rather than consistently tying rhetorical choices directly to audience impact and purpose.
- To reach a 3 or 4, you’d want a more organized line of reasoning, consistently connecting each technique to Douglass’s aims and the rhetorical situation.
4. Sophistication (1/1):
- You note the hypocrisy of Christian slaveholders and the emotional/moral dissonance this creates for Northerners.
- You reflect on Douglass’s audience and the broader context, deepening your analysis beyond basic technique.
5. Invitation for Next Steps:
- Consider tightening the commentary so every quoted passage is followed by a “so what?” that draws out Douglass’s rhetorical purposes and audience effects.
- Can you more sharply distinguish between summary (“what happened”) and analysis (“why Douglass tells it this way for this audience”)? Try using “This detail reveals X about Y, which makes the audience…”
- Build more explicit bridges between Douglass’s individual rhetorical choices and the likely impact on white Northern readers. Practice using metacommentary (“Douglass chooses this harsh image here to…”) to train your analytical muscle.
- For revision: Choose one body paragraph and, after each piece of evidence, write a follow-up explaining the effect on the audience and Douglass’s persuasive strategy.
- When you revise, see if your analysis sounds less like storytelling and more like a “how and why” investigation. Try using sentence patterns such as, “By [technique], Douglass prompts his audience to…”
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Scoring this essay using the AP Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Rubric:
Score: 4 / 6
Thesis: 1/1 · Evidence & Commentary: 3/4 · Sophistication: 0/1
Thesis
- Score: 1/1
- Clearly presents a defensible position analyzing Douglass’s rhetorical choices and intention to persuade. Not formulaic; contextualizes Douglass’s purpose.
Evidence & Commentary
- Score: 3/4
- Evidence is detailed and tied to specific moments (Aunt Hester’s beating, Covey, Sophia Auld). Commentary often explains how these details build Douglass’s argument. Some evidence isn’t fully developed in relation to rhetorical strategies and effects (e.g., repeats effect rather than explaining device). Lacks a consistent pattern of linking each device to rhetorical purpose across the response.
Sophistication
- Score: 0/1
- The essay makes some broader claims about Christian hypocrisy and audience appeal but mainly repeats and summarizes rather than grappling with textual complexities or tensions, or explaining the broader rhetorical situation in a nuanced way.
Next Steps for Growth
1. Broaden Analysis of Rhetorical Choices:
Which rhetorical moves (e.g., diction, structure, irony, contrast) beyond anecdote and detail does Douglass use? How do these shape audience reaction, not just emotions?
2. Push Commentary Deeper:
For each example, ask: “How does this specific device function rhetorically?” For instance, “How does describing Sophia Auld’s transformation critique slavery as a corrupting force?”
3. Engage Complexity and Nuance:
Where might Douglass anticipate counterarguments? Does he ever complicate his appeals, or reflect on failures of empathy? How could you show that in your analysis?
Invitations for Revision and Reflection:
- Choose one paragraph and deepen your commentary: focus on how Douglass’s rhetorical technique shapes meaning and audience attitude, not just summarizing events.
- Identify a passage in Douglass’s narrative where a rhetorical move is especially complex or layered. What tension or double meaning does he create?
- How might you strengthen your conclusion to move beyond summary and reflect on the significance of Douglass’s approach for his contemporary audience or for us today?
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