Jacobs & Douglass

Reading about the treatment of slaves from their white slave masters is about as hard as actually going through it. What makes this possible is the author’s use of techniques that conveys the type of the emotions and pain the slaves went through. The pieces written by Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass both use pathos to appeal to the reader.
On the subject of slavery alone, people may feel sympathetic on the whole idea and how it developed to become part of American history. When Jacobs and Douglass actually write about some of these horrific experiences, readers could feel how they felt at that time. One thing that stood out in Jacobs’s piece is that she didn’t even know she was a slave until she was about six years old. Could you imagine living the life you thought you had but finds out you are property of another human being? Even though a child may not understand the full concept of slavery, they’re going to realize that their life is different than the white children. In the Frederick Douglass’s narrative, his parents wasn’t in his life. His father was an unknown white male, who was rumored to be his master. His mother was living with her master about twelve miles away. It’s sad that when she died, Douglass felt like he was mourning over a stranger. As depressing as it may be, some people can relate to that. This particular event can appeal to the reader’s emotions because they can recall about their own personal experiences and understand Douglass’s hardships a little better. Another passage in Douglass’s piece describes the punishment his Aunt Hester and other slaves had to face. From the whips striking on their bare backs to the constant name-calling, the slaves were obviously being degraded and dishonored. The louder they screamed, the more the whips smack their backs. The way Douglass describes the scene makes people angry at the injustice; it makes them feel compassionate toward the slaves.
When the hardships of slavery are articulated, whether it’s through art, literature, or film, it is bound to appeal to the audience’s emotions.