Why no thesis? : a rhetorical analysis of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass

Abstract

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in his early adulthood and went on to pursue a career as a writer and public speaker. His autobiographical Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass presents a powerful rhetorical argument against slavery, but presents several peculiarities. Most notably, Douglass states no clear thesis in the beginning of the text. He also omits any explicit call to action in the end. There is a tradition of literary analysis of this text, but as of yet, few authors have endeavored to use rhetorical analysis to answer the question: why no thesis? This rhetorical analysis considers Douglass' appeals to logos and pathos, as well as his use of enthymeme and presence to persuade an audience to adopt an abolitionist ideology.