Question

read the excerpt from \what to the slave is the fourth of july?\

must i argue the wrongfulness of slavery? is that a question for republicans? is it to be settled by the rules of logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great difficulty, involving a doubtful application of the principle of justice, hard to be understood?

what do the rhetorical questions in the excerpt suggest?

• douglass does not want to discuss slavery further.
• slavery is a highly divisive and complicated issue.
• douglass is uncertain about slaverys wrongfulness.
• the wrongfulness of slavery should be obvious.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Rhetorical Devices and Analysis
Using questions to emphasize an obvious truth.

Step 1: Analyze the excerpt and rhetorical questions

In this excerpt from Frederick Douglass's speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", Douglass asks several consecutive questions:

• "Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery?"
• "Is that a question for Republicans?"
• "Is it to be settled by the rules of logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great difficulty...?"

These are rhetorical questions—questions asked to make a point rather than to get an actual answer.

Step 2: Determine the purpose of the questions

By asking if he must "argue" something so fundamental, or if it is a "matter beset with great difficulty," Douglass is pointing out that the injustice of slavery is not a complex, doubtful, or highly debatable intellectual puzzle. Instead, he implies that the wrongfulness of slavery is so plain and self-evident that it should not require formal, logical proof or debate.

Step 3: Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "Douglass does not want to discuss slavery further."
• Incorrect. Douglass is giving an entire speech about slavery; he is not trying to avoid the topic, but rather changing how it is framed.
• Option 2: "Slavery is a highly divisive and complicated issue."
• Incorrect. While historically divisive, Douglass's point here is the exact opposite of "complicated"—he argues it is simple and clear-cut.
• Option 3: "Douglass is uncertain about slavery's wrongfulness."
• Incorrect. Douglass is completely certain that slavery is wrong.
• Option 4: "The wrongfulness of slavery should be obvious."
• Correct. By questioning why he must even argue the point, he suggests that the truth is already completely obvious to anyone.

Answer:

The wrongfulness of slavery should be obvious.