Before the Civil War, America was plagued with a complicated social quandary that incorporated individual, societal, political, economic, and religious principles. This taboo of a topic found itself well-versed throughout the country in many publications. Its authorship included Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beacher Stowe who dually challenged the legitimacy of slavery in their literature. Both have earned their place as an essential and effective component to the abolition movement though differing in mannerism, aim, strategy, and audience.
Frederick Douglass offers a calm, concise, yet compelling account of his experience as a slave. Perhaps this is because he targets a primarily educated audience from the North. His logic might reason that abolition propaganda will not be supported in the South and only intellects, the voting population, have the capacity to produce change. Also, it is evident that Douglass has a bias against slavery, but that does effect his prose the least bit. When he detects it he offers a convincing explanation. But first and foremost, in order to obtain his audience's sympathies and support, he must prove himself a man worthy of being listened to. This means Douglass must show he knows more, has seen more, and is something extraordinary. His complexion is detrimental, and to see beyond that, he cleverly assumes the role of a hero. The universal saying "heroes are born, not made" brings individuals to a disheartened yet expected reality that they are no such thing. As a result there is a naturally tendency to be intrigued by someone who is. Douglass plays on this and captivates his audience by demonstrating the unimaginable events he lived through. Despite the nights of waking up to the cries of his aunt's whipping sessions, despite the brainwashing of white supremacists, despite having no mother or father, despite the rations of meager amounts of food and clothing, and despite the unspeakable cruelties, he survived.