Directions-respond in complete sentences. Fully explore each question and explain each
response in full detail.
1. The Preface includes texts by William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips. What is their
purpose? Be thorough with this response.
After doing some research, slave narrative prefaces, which are written by white
editors, prepare white audiences for the actual narrative by testifying the
credibility of the narrative since at the time, black people weren’t trusted to not
over exaggerate their situation. Garrison’s preface puts himself as the focus and
seemingly overshadows Douglass’ talents; his preface also suggests dualities in
Douglass’ narrative, namely the difference between Douglass’ more articulate self
at the time of writing the narrative and his oppressed self when he was under
slavery, as well as the duality of the fact that despite Douglass’ narrative being
about his own experience, it also stood as the experience of most slaves. Both
prefaces are political, being in support of abolition and against slavery as well as
telling of Douglass’ ability to move readers.
2. How would you identify the genres of these two Preface texts? What difference does
genre make in texts that have a similar purpose? Which one is more effective, in your
view?
The genre of Garrison’s preface is nonfiction, and if “essay” counts as a genre,
then it is an essay; it reflects the writer’s viewpoint in an analytic way. The genre
of Phillips’, however, while still nonfiction, is more of a letter; it frequently
addresses Douglass personally. The genre of the texts matters since the reader
can pick up on the genre of the text and understand how to view it. In my opinion,
Garrison’s was more effective, solely because I got more information out of it and
it was more explanatory and less addressing Douglass.
3.
How does the distinction between human and animal appear in each of the two Preface
documents?
Douglass was described as: “by the law of the land, by the voice of the people, by
the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property, a beast of burden...”
(Garrison) in Garrison’s preface; Phillips writes: “I am glad the time has come
when the ‘lions write history’” (Phillips) about Douglass and slaves as a whole in
the beginning of his preface. Slaves were separated from humans, being likened
to animals.
4. Why is it ironic that these two men wrote these letters?
The book is meant to be a black man’s perspective on his life under slavery, but opens
up with two white men discussing slavery for him.
5. Identify 2 rhetorical devices from each of the letters.
● Garrison
○ An example of anaphora is “by the law of the land, by the voice of the
people, by the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property,
a beast of burden, a chattel personal, nevertheless!” (Garrison).
○ An example of anadiplosis is “There stood one, in physical proportion
and stature commanding and exact—in intellect richly endowed—in
natural eloquence a prodigy—in soul manifestly ‘created but a little
lower than the angels’” (Garrison).
● Phillips
○ An example of anaphora is “not by his hunger and want, not by his
lashes and toil, but by the cruel and blighting death which gathers over
his soul” (Phillips).
○ An example of hyperbole is “They say the fathers, in 1776, signed the
Declaration of Independence with the halter about their necks”
(Phillips).