Episodic; Colloquial

While Douglass was self-taught in the skills and forms of classical rhetoric, he doesn't use them here. Instead, Douglass sits us down and tells us some stories. He starts with three episodes from his personal experience, and he talks to us in everyday language.

Using personal experiences allows Douglass' listeners to put an individual face on the problem of systemic prejudice, which then contributes to their feeling that it's unfair and something should be done about it...obviously.

Check out the first episode:

At the South I was a member of the Methodist Church. When I came north, I thought one Sunday I would attend communion, at one of the churches of my denomination, in the town I was staying. The white people gathered round the altar, the blacks clustered by the door. After the good minister had served out the bread and wine to one portion of those near him, he said, "These may withdraw, and others come forward;" thus he proceeded till all the white members had been served. Then he took a long breath, and looking out towards the door, exclaimed, "Come up, colored friends, come up! for you know God is no respecter of persons!" I haven't been there to see the sacraments taken since. (1-6)

He uses dialogue and visual description to draw us into the scene. Douglass uses the second, shortest part of the speech to transition into the idea that slavery is the underlying cause of prejudice. Here, he gives more general examples of the way black people are treated:

They will not allow that we have a head to think, and a heart to feel, and a soul to aspire. They treat us not as men, but as dogs—they cry "Stu-boy!" and expect us to run and do their bidding. (26-27)

In the last part of the speech, Douglass provides a broader perspective. He collects all the arguments he's heard from Southern slaveholders and speaks in the voice of a composite of all these as he describes the religious arguments used for slavery.

"Oh! if you wish to be happy in time, happy in eternity, you must be obedient to your masters; their interest is yours. God made one portion of men to do the working, and another to do the thinking; how good God is!" (32-33)

Then at the end, he goes back to personal experience as he describes a specific case he knows—his former master whipping his cousin while quoting Scripture.

Throughout, Douglass uses simple, clear language to speak to his listeners. You won't find many high-falutin', flowery phrases here. He's all about giving the listener something to relate to.