what does "as a literal definition" means in this sentence?
"While there were plenty of rhetorical appeals to make comparisons between slavery and other forms of suffering, the ownership of human beings as property was commonly accepted as a literal definition."
also I understand that "rhetorical here" is used sarcastically meaning sth like "eloquent", am I right?
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Answers · 6
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A literal definition is one that means exactly as it says with no room for interpretation. This sentence is saying that the slave owners viewed slaves "literally" as property, not people. Rhetorical questions aren't necessarily sarcastic, they are asked in a way where an answer isn't expected because it should already be known. A rhetorical question is used to get someone to think about an issue or what they are doing more thoroughly.
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here the meaning of literal definition could be "accepted as in written"
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