Genre
An autobiographic novel
Setting and Context
The events depicted took place during the slave life of the narrator, from his birth (1818) till his escape from slavery in 1838. These events descrited took place in Baltimore, Maryland. His next years of life as a free man took place in New York, near Bedford, then 8 years in England, and then back in America.
Narrator and Point of View
It is first-person narration, and the narrator is the author – Frederick Douglass.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel, specially slave years, is filled with sorrow supported by images of violence against slaves. The years of freedom were more joyful, but still the tone and mood are filled with feelings of injustice and cruelty.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the narrator himself, while the antagonist is slavery as a social institution which makes both slaves and their owners miserable
Major Conflict
The main conflict of the novel is pretty clear – it is the existence of slavery; but when to look into the ideas of the author it attains more wider sense, as slavery touches not only slaves but free man as well. The narrator’s opinion stands in the idea of improvement and widening of rights of free black people, and then it would lead to emancipation as would prove that black people can perform in any sphere of human activity not worse than any white person.
Climax
The climax comes when the narrator escapes from slavery and a completely new life opens before him.
Foreshadowing
After the failed attempt to escape, the narrator is put into jail, and it foreshadows his dark future.
Understatement
The personal life of the narrator is understated, since he does not reveal the events concerning his marriage,
Allusions
Allusions to geographical places, books, and newspapers published at the time occur in the account.
Imagery
Images of cruelty towards slaves are depicted in vivid detail.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Alas! it may only be a sham at last! This immense wealth; this gilded splendor; this profusion of luxury; this exemption from toil; this life of ease; this sea of plenty; aye, what of it all?
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“She was soon to lose another object of affection” (object of affection is the narrator himself)
“sloop hands” are called slaves who help the slaveholders and overseers on the boards of a sloop
“I have seen poor Mary contending for the offal, with the pigs in the street. So much was the poor girl pinched, kicked, cut and pecked to pieces, that the boys in the street knew her only by the name of “pecked,” a name derived from the scars and blotches on her neck, head and shoulders.” (metonymy)
“Three or four voices would strike my ear at the same moment.” (Three or four voices is a synecdoche for people)
Personification
“clouds and shadows begin to fall upon my path”
“gray hair peeped from between the ample and graceful folds of her newly-ironed bandana turban”
