This thesis deals with anti-slavery propaganda by means of slave narratives, a distinct American literary genre. The present writer has selected to discuss the Narrative of The LW of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and Twelve Years A Slavef' Narrative of Solomon Northup in relation with the use of propaganda devices. From secondary sources, the present writer learns these devices as hereunder.
Name-calling is applied to appeal to our hatred and fear by giving ?bad names? to individuals, groups, or policies, in this case to slaveholders and slavery. Glittering generalities is expressed by way of ?virtue words? to appeal to our emotion of love or liking. Tr-anwr is used by the propagandist to can-y over the authority and prestige ot` something we pay respect so as to have us accept the said thing. Testimonial makes us accept anything from a product to a policy by means of statements conceming the quality or character of a product, a person, or a policy; counter-testimonial is the other way round for the retiisal of the thing or person referred to. Plain folks is a device used to win our sympathy by appearing to be just like plain folks among the neighbors. Card-stacking is one employed through the arts of deception to win our support, whereas band-wagon is expressed to have us follow the crowd because ?every body?s doing it?
The two narratives by _ Frederick Douglass and Solomon Northup abovementioned, in the present writer's observation, apply a good number of propaganda devices except card-stacking. The devices name-calling and counter-testimonial are the most intensively used and this is in accordance with the aim of the narratives at standing against slavery and slaveholders.