eeder" (1910), he states that "he hired a married man of Mr. Samuel Harrison, to live with him one year, and him, he used to fasten up with her every night!" Using the exclamation point, Douglass interrupts the neutral illustration and subtly denounces slaveowners for this sexual abuse and callous treatment of women slaves as animals "breeded" and "fastened up." In all of these examples, Douglas' subtle, often sarcastic criticism implicitly asks the reader, "Can you believe this?"
Beyond manipulating words in particular passages, Douglass infuses the narrative with a volatile tone to stir his criticism. The self-controlled tone actually engages the reader in an active, critical role throughout the narrative. For example, Douglass assumes this detached tone in describing the master's rules of slavery - "to be accused was to be convicted, and to be convicted was to be punished" (1887), "killing a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community" (1869), "it was worth a half-cent to kill a 'nigger,' and a half cent to buy one" (1890), "learning would spoil the best nigger in the world" (1894), "behave well or behave ill, it is the duty of a master to occasionally to whip a slave, to remind him of his master's authority. Such was his theory, and such his practice, (1918). By describing these ruthless rules in such an accepting, almost unemotional tone, Douglass leaves the reader dumbfounded. By the end of the narrative, the relentless repetition of these "rules" creates a sense of anxiety. For, as readers, we are constantly seeking an emotional reaction from Douglass, but instead we receive silence. This jarring process forces us to respond, and we sa anticipate his responses, we too feel the hatred, humiliation, and despair. By sensitizing the reader indirectly, Douglass' lack of emotion proves to be as powerful as displayed emotion.
Douglass genera...