Question

What rhetorical device does Douglass use in this quote?

"I have seen him whip a woman, causing the blood to run half an hour at the time; and this, too, in the midst of her crying children, pleading for their mother's release."

A) Alliteration
B) Hyperbole
C) Simile
D) Repetition

Answer 1

The rhetorical device used in the quote is hyperbole. Option B

Step-by-step explanation:

The rhetorical device used in the quote is hyperbole.

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or dramatic effect. In this quote, Frederick Douglass uses hyperbole to emphasize the extreme cruelty of the slaveholder, Mr. Severe.

He describes how Mr. Severe whipped a woman, causing the blood to run for half an hour, even in the midst of her crying children pleading for their mother's release. By exaggerating the brutality of the act, Douglass effectively conveys the inhumanity and violence of slavery. Option B