AP Language and Composition—Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Project Names:______________________________________________________________ In groups of mostly 3, research and present on the following to the class. You should demonstrate thorough knowledge and creative thinking to the class through your mode of presentation. All group members must be present and actively involved in the presentation. 1. You will analyze the rhetoric of The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, speficially it's rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, ethos) and the rhetorical devices (tone, diction, syntax, parallelism, and paradox, etc) that are used to persuade the audience that slavery should be abolished. There should be at least nine slides total (one for the title and two per chapter going through chapter 4) that include an example of the appeals/device and an explanation. Add any visuals that might add a nice touch. Prompt: How does Frederick Douglass make an affective argument against slavery? Analyze his use of rhetorical appeals and rhetorical devices to explain how he persuades his readers that slavery should be eliminated. If time permits... 2. Read two other slave narratives (see suggested web sites below) and compare/contrast them to Douglass’s narrative. Were their lives as slaves similar? Do they make some of the same points about slavery? Synthesize these arguments into your argument as either support or opposition. As a group come up with a thesis that answers the actual prompt. Then your slides will serve as the evidence/support for your thesis. This is about Douglass’s argument, and how he creates a strong, persuasive text using a variety of techniques and strategies. Do not simply summarize the events and ideas in the book! Think of the events in Douglass’s Narrative as intentionally and consciously chosen to support his argument. Suggested Web Sites for Slave Narratives: 1. “Been Here So Long: Selections from the WPA American Slave Narratives” http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/asn00.htm 2. “Documenting the American South” http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/texts.html 3. “American Slave Narratives: An Online Anthology” http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html
