In the autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, Douglas reinforces the universal human condition of freedom through syntax, figurative language, and selection of detail. This is demonstrated in the third paragraph, which makes it stand out.…
Douglas is addressing white American citizens or slaveholders. No, Douglas is not happy to be speaking to the crowd because of what has happened in the past and present concerning the issue of slavery. Douglas is claiming that the American people have strayed from the founding ideas of liberty and justice. The key message Douglas is conveying towards the group gathered is that how can a country be freedom based, but yet so limited to which types of people are allowed that freedom. Yes, in fact I think Douglas delivered the speech in the perfect setting. Douglas spoke on July 4th, which was a day of celebrating freedom. He revealed to the citizens that not every type of individual was free. Douglas was bashing the idea of slavery and how it…
Oration Delivered in Corinthian Hall (online) → Fourth of July speech criticizing Americans for celebrating independence while preserving slavery…
The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro “This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” (Douglass, 337). In This speech which was delivered in 1852, by Frederick Douglass titled "The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro" covers into the regular Realism type. This speech was delivered to a white audience, which was a reflection of Realism.…
to the naked eye, this passage may look like just a detailed essay about slavery in America. But really, this passage is to show and describe how slaves were mistreated in the states. Douglas describes his perspective of slavery, and his experience being a slave. he argues that america claims that the people are free and it is a free country but it can't really be free of millions are being enslaved.…
To Frederick Douglass the holiday is more of a holiday to be celebrated by the white people. In the text it says, “The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not me.” In the time that Douglass gave this speech he thought that only white people should celebrate the fourth of july because they inherit freedom, and it comes with the color of their skin. Today sadly American treats all races different from each other. African Americans are seen as unbehaved and violent, Asians are seen as smart, and pakistani and Arab people are seen a terrorist. The list of stereotypes go on and on, how can you celebrate a holiday meant for freedom when you're not even free of false judgement from other Americans nor are you free from the way you are treated based on your race. I hope that one day that America as a whole would not classify or treat races differently base on the stereotypes or the actions of others. I hope that one day everyone would be able to celebrate the fourth of July with pride because they are…
Douglas proceeds on about how the action of slavery looks bad on America. “I do not hesitate to declare with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July holiday.” (Douglas) Lastly, he goes on about slavery in America, and how it is not divine, and how this should be displayed. “The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God…
In “What to the slave is the fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass speaks a lot about the freedom that isn’t celebrated by the slaves. He starts off by saying, “It is the birthday of your National independence, and of your political freedom”(1). He is sharing this on the fourth of July and is showing exactly what they celebrate: their freedom. They have freedom which is worth celebrating. He pushes the thought of celebrating freedom later in his speech by saying,”The freedom gained is yours: and you therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary”(2). He is really trying to push the cause of the celebration. The fight to get that freedom. Then he brings up another idea. He says, “...shared…
The act of slavery was an extremely controversial and prominent matter in the 19th century and was the main reason that the United States was divided. There were several different economic factors among English settlers that initiated the notion of slavery. The North and the Southern economy differed where the North wished to put an end to slavery and in the South slavery was vital for cheap labor. Throughout history there have been various speeches and books written about slavery and its abolition. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl written by Harriet Jacobs is a narrative of the female author’s life story as a runaway slave. “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is a speech given by Frederick Douglas in 1852 where he stresses the wrongfulness of slavery and encourages Northern whites that abolition is adequate.…
But what is it to the slaves, or other races, upon this celebration every year? A sorrow day where the whites cheers? What is the word “we” means on the Declaration of Independence? What does the phrase “all men are created equal” means on the Declaration of Independence? How can we define “men” I ask? It’s a life live by a human being. Is slave, or African American, a life? Yes, I say. Are they human being living under the same sky as the whites? Yes, I repeated. Are they subjects to the whites like how once American was subject to the British? Some may say yes, while the other half might say no. Well, I on one hand, strongly disagree. The color and the race we label each other, but under the same umbrella, we are what is classified as a family, as the meaning of “men.”…
In the essay “The Fourth of July” Audre Lorde shares a story about a young black girl, herself, who struggles to find the answers to why her parents did not explain why things are the way they are or why they do not stand up for themselves. In the story the young girl and her family, which consists of her older sister and her parents, are taking a trip to Washington D.C. They are taking this trip because her sister, Phyllis, did not get a chance to go when her class went in 8th grade because she is black and they would not let her stay in the hotel. Her father told her that they would take a family trip later on so she would not be upset. This trip was not just a normal family vacation it was an eye opening experience for her. Lorde expresses racism and the different issues that pop up through different instances in the story and different experiences she faces. Lorde also expresses the silence theme a lot in her story.…
American beliefs are rooted in the value of freedom. The founding fathers risked their lives for freedom, yet it has not always been given to all. American values and beliefs have changed overtime causing today’s beliefs to be different. By comparing and contrasting the perspectives of Frederick Douglass, who in his speech “What to the Slave if the Fourth of July?” presents his viewpoint on the need to end the act of slavery, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who in her speech from Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls Woman’s Rights Convention argues the need for equality between men and women, it is evident that Americans value this belief and hope for a positive future by creating freedom for the rest of the nation.…
In Frederick Douglas ‘What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?’ He talks about how America gain its independent and freedom. During his speech, he identified that he didn't have the best education and he did not use fancy words. He was grateful that his speech was accepted even with the knowledge of his struggle as being a slave. "The little experience I have had in addressing public meetings, in country school houses, avails me nothing on the present occasion." (Ziron,…
The definition of a slave is “a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property”. Another definition says slave means “a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence.” Douglas finds proof of the flawed ideology that is slavery through the book “The Colombian Orator.” The book validates Douglas’s belief of human rights and gave him ammo to use against slaveholders who thought otherwise. The dilemma in him learning this illuminating information is his inability to figure a way out of slavery. Douglas writes “It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me…I saw nothing without seeing it, I heard nothing without hearing it” (Page 169). White slave owners made it unlawful for slaves to read and write, this ignorance kept them in a state of limbo which stopped their…
Hill, F. I. (1972/2009). The ‘traditional perspective;’ Critical essay: Mr. Douglass’s fifth of July. In J. A. Kuypers (Ed.), Rhetorical criticism, perspectives in action (pp. 39-59). Lanham, MD: Lexington.…