Final answer:
Stowe and Douglass both fought against slavery through emotional appeal and Christian morality, while being different in style; Stowe used narrative while Douglass used his own experiences. Douglass's first-hand accounts provided a compelling, urgent argument for abolition due to the historical context of his writing.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing and contrasting the abolitionist arguments of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass, it is clear that both authors employed different strategies to advance the cause against slavery. Stowe's approach in Uncle Tom's Cabin was more of an emotional appeal to her readers, using personal stories and sentiment to humanize enslaved individuals and expose the cruelties of slavery. Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, offered a direct, personal narrative in his work, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, showcasing the brutal realities of slavery from his own experience as an enslaved person. Both Stowe and Douglass used Christian allusions and figurative language to evoke a sense of morality and appeal to their predominantly Christian audience.
Douglass's writing featured dialogue to showcase social disparities, emphasizing how slavery debased both the enslaved and the enslavers, showing a sophisticated understanding of the societal impact of slavery. Conversely, Stowe's writing was more narrative-driven, and lacked the direct, lived experience that Douglass provided. The historical context of Douglass writing his narrative before the abolition of slavery would have influenced his content to be more urgent and compelling, appealing to the audiences who were actively participating in the debate over slavery.
Stowe and Douglass were aligned in advocating for the abolition of slavery, but their methods differed; Douglass's first-hand accounts were likely more influential in convincing readers of slavery's injustice due to his personal oration and written testimony. This personal connection might have made his abolitionist arguments more compelling to readers and the public during this era.