Final answer:
A negative characterization of freedom could depict it as causing ruin or chaos and might be conveyed using literary devices such as personification or prosopopeia to emphasize its complexities, especially when reflecting on historical paradoxes, such as liberty-seeking slaveholders. The correct option is 3) Personification
Step-by-step explanation:
A negative characterization of freedom could involve attributing to it detrimental qualities or consequences, such as ruin or destruction, particularly in a historical or literary context. For instance, a text might illustrate how the pursuit of freedom can lead to chaos, or how those who seek freedom might suffer under the weight of its responsibilities.
In literature, such a portrayal might employ literary devices like personification or prosopopeia. Personification, as seen in the reference to Desmond's work, uses human characteristics to describe non-human entities or ideas, such as calling poverty "a formidable enemy." Prosopopeia is a form of personification that gives human traits to abstract concepts, like freedom, but often to communicate directly to the audience.
Within historical context, as referenced by Wheatley (1773h), freedom can sometimes be discussed with irony or criticism, particularly when juxtaposed against the ideas of slavery and tyranny. The complexity of freedom becomes especially evident when considering the paradoxical nature of liberty-seeking slaveholders of the time. The correct option is 3) Personification