Slave Narrative Rhetorical Devices

Siarra Williams
October 20, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Comparing Rhetorical Devices

The lives of slaves were unknown before African American Slave Narratives were published. People of that time period refuse to see the negative sides to slavery until the stories of the slaves’ experiences were told. Soon the free men and women began to sympathize with the slaves and became supporters of anti slavery.
Before reading a narrative, you would usually read an introduction from the editor. Of course this editor was of Caucasian descent. The introduction’s sole purpose was to rely on ethos to get the message across to the reader. Without the editor’s appeal to character, most people would have looked over the narrative as if it were just a Negro complaining over their place in society. The introduction helps to appeal to the audience that it was directed to, the free white men that live in the North. Ethos attracted the audience necessary to make a change in society and create equality among all of mankind.
The editor’s introduction uses ethos to catch the audience’s attention. Well then who is the audience you might find yourself asking and why? The audience is free white men living in the North. This is the primary audience because of the standing that they have in society. They are ranked higher than African American slaves who live in the South. Not only that, but their opinions are heard and valued by those around them. They can easily influence others into what they want them to believe without being treated as though they are inferior.
After answering the question of whom the audience is. Next question that may come to mind is does ethos work better on men or women? Ethos appeal better to men than women because men rely more on reputation to be won over on something. A reputation matters more to them than anything else. This is proven to be true because most men base their decisions on impulses and on what they know will grab someone’s attention rather than emotion or logic. For example, if a man were to buy a car he would want to buy a Cadillac because of its reputation. They know that a Cadillac will grab someone’s attention rather than a Suzuki. They aren’t buying a car based on price value or miles per gallon which refers to logic nor are they putting their emotions first relating to pathos.
In the essay, ethos was used to grab the right audience’s attention. The audience that can help get your point across was the focus of the paper. Without ethos it is possible that the paper would not have caught the eye of persons with such high status in society.