Question

read the excerpt from \what to the slave is the fourth of july?\ when the dogs in your streets, when the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a brute, then will i argue with you that the slave is a man! what effect does the repetition of the word \when\ have? the repetition gives the excerpt a philosophical quality the repetition distracts readers from douglasss original point. the repetition clarifies the time in which the speech was delivered. the repetition reinforces douglasss incredulity at the oppositions attitudes.

Explanation:

The repeated use of "when" in the excerpt builds a rhetorical rhythm. It emphasizes Douglass's disbelief at the idea that others could view slaves as no different from animals, highlighting his incredulity at opposing attitudes. It doesn't give a philosophical quality, distract from the point, or clarify the time of the speech.

Answer:

The repetition reinforces Douglass's incredulity at the opposition's attitudes.