Oppression In Literature

Great Essays
And Justice for All: How Do We Deal with Oppression? It may seem foolish and nonsensical to compare two texts coming from such wildly different contexts as Douglass’s and Shakespeare’s times. Values change along with the times, and a cross-examination of the two works can lead to nothing but “apple-to-orange” type claims. When taken separately, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” may seem completely unrelated to each other. But perspective is key to this investigation. Taken in a more specific frame of reference, the two texts show similar ways societies deal with oppressive governments, and often those ways can shed some light on the rebellion process holistically. Friedrich Nietzsche …show more content…
“Fellow citizens” (1), he begins, as if he were utterly unaware of the societally-imposed restrictions that prevent him from truly being citizens alongside his audience. He then immediately sheds his introduced notion of community. Douglass adopts exclusive use of the pronoun “I”. “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! [...] The Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (1). Douglass immediately groups himself with his audience only to then separate himself entirely from the scope of his dissertations. At a celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document symbolizing the freedoms on which America has built a society, Douglass boldly asserts “I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation has never looked blacker than on this Fourth of July” (2). It is clear Douglass does not consider himself a part of the nation, seeing as how he rejects America’s accepted ideals at a commemoration of the very ideals which shape its culture. A la The Duke, Douglass values the tactic of separation in inciting political change in favor of a grassroots style of catalyzing rectification. Despite the contexts, whether political turmoil in 16th-century Venice or slave controversies in the Civil War, both figures advocate and embody extra-governmental …show more content…
His address culminates with a fiery criticism of the oppressive nature of the Fourth of July. He begins, “To him [the slave] your celebration is sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license” (3) and rambles on with accusatory statements to further distance himself from the hypocrisy endorsed and accepted by society and its government. He ends with perhaps the most seething remark against the body to which he addresses: “There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour” (3). In his treatments of the oppression against the slaves, Douglass wants nothing to do with the practices of the United States. Instead, he wants to incite alarm and feeling among the nation (3). Like the Duke, his approach revolves around an emotional appeal, a method that transcends the celebrated patriotism inherent in conforming to government actions. Oppressed people cannot go to the government for aid when it is that very government cracking whips on their backs and enslaving them, both mentally and spiritually. In this way, governments will never relinquish power to their people willingly. They must circumvent these malpractices and instead use human emotion and appeals to their sympathies to derive the solidarity which can defeat the evils of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Frederick Douglass proves his ability in this essay, and helps the readers realize not only the…

    • 205 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Fredrick Douglass’s pro-abolition speech, What to a Slave Is the Fourth of July, Douglass explains to his audience why America should ban slavery. As any abolitionist rhetoric would include, Douglass points out that slavery is inhumane and morally wrong, supporting his thesis with evidence such as France and England abolishing slavery. Douglass’s main point is that African Americans do not feel as if they are included in the celebration of the Fourth of July because they are still slaves. Douglass appeals to the audience’s humanity, which is a convention of the civil rights genre. In this genre, Douglass portrays African Americans as the protagonists and white men, especially slave owners, as the antagonists.…

    • 174 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the excerpt “What, to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” the author Frederick Douglass employs rhetorical devices such as logos, ethos, and syntax to demonstrate how the white American was repressive towards the black Americans and how the white Americans dehumanize the slaves. He also expresses how ironic it was to have chains on the neck in one place while the Americans celebrate their freedom from the British. In the excerpt, Douglass implies logos to complement the white American on how they torture the slaves physically and mentally. An example of this action is in the first paragraph: “Whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday……

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frederick wrote about his experiences of being a slave in many of his writings. In "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July", Douglass says, "The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary. The Fourth of July is the first great fact in your nation's history- the very ring-bolt in the chain of your yet undeveloped destiny" (Douglass,…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Terrible Truth Imagine that you are dehumanized to the extent of being regarded as chattel. You have no rights, you are not allowed to seek an education, you cannot oppose a white man, and you are maltreated at your owner’s will. You are a slave like Douglass in the 1800s. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is the life story of the author himself and his journey from slavery to freedom.…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass effectively shows readers the hardships slaves had to live with on the road to freedom. From the faulty idea of a “romantic southern image” to the unfortunate slave-on-slave betrayal, Douglass debunks these ideas and blames them for the inability to improve the slave’s well-being and the societal ignorance regarding southern conditions. Several epiphanies, such as his new knowledge of the north and realization of slavery’s malice, motivated Douglass and filled his heart with determination to focus his train of thought towards freedom. Despite the many difficulties, he made it there. Douglass rebukes the romantic image of slavery by using vivid imagery to describe the horrors of his everyday situations…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Before he learned to read, Douglass was blind to the dehumanizing effects of slavery and how a slave’s ignorance was necessary for the institution to work. However, his transformation into a self-aware man is foreshadowed through his first thoughts when learning how to read. He voices these brewing thoughts by saying, “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers,” (Douglass 40). Learning to read was his escape and every new thing he learned was a step towards the freedom that had always eluded him. However, after he began to be educated and could understand the things going on around him, Douglass couldn’t rid himself of the notion that his life should hold something more.…

    • 1622 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” On July 4, 1852, Frederick Douglas delivered his “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” speech. At the time this speech was delivered, Douglas was merely an escaped slave who had been taught to read and write by his slave owner’s wife. He used his gift of literacy to fight for the God-given rights of both African-Americans and women. In “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July,” Douglas cunningly uses bold diction and formatting in order to emphasize to his mostly white audience points of conviction concerning slaves.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This distinction can be seen as a central theme in the works of nearly all black political theorists as they attempt to explore the foundations and characteristics of African American political thought. One such author was Frederick Douglass, one of the most esteemed abolitionists and writers of his time, whose speech in 1852 entitled “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” exposed the hypocrisy of white citizen’s celebrations of their independence and freedom while denying the same rights to their slaves. Beyond just the issue of citizenship, this work exemplifies differences between the races that created and contributed to their conflicting political ideologies, namely the ways in which they identify with the nation and the values that each find significant enough to spur…

    • 1189 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In this part of his speech he uses antithesis to show the contrast in how people living in America experience freedom. Douglass continues to build on his ethos appeal; he again establishes that he is capable of empathizing with the slaves by siding with the slaves and separating himself from the white. He says, “The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (286).…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was evident that Frederick Douglass, in his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July," did not share the same joyous feelings as his nation did on that celebrated day in the 1800s due to his firm beliefs that America is filled with hypocritical leaders and citizens and thus deserves no adoration from him, a black man who escaped slavery, or from the people who share his ethnicity as well as his beliefs. According to Douglass, slaves cannot partake in this joyous celebration because it is a false celebration. Douglass touches on the fact that Americans claim all men are equal and yet it does not offer the same rights to a black man as it does to a white man. He therefore wrote his speech in a way that would encourage women to view the hypocrisy in America so that they may fight in favor of the slaves. Douglass’s text is effective in persuading his intended audience that although America has proclaimed it is a place filled with liberty and independence, not every one of its’ citizens can share the celebration on the Fourth of July because of its hypocritical standpoint and such argument is supported through Douglass’s use of rhetorical questions, tone, logos, and through…

    • 1071 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Personal Reaction to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a book that has woken me up from a state I am ashamed to have been in in the first place, especially regarding such a sensitive time in our country’s past: indifference. Collectively, our society today has become desensitized to the heinous atrocity of slavery that those before us fell victim to. As a human being with even the slightest sense of morality, I of course vehemently disapprove of slavery and the values in which it was grounded. However, admittedly, my immediate emotional reaction to the word “slavery” prior to my reading of the book was borderline apathetic because our culture is so far removed from the cruelties that those before us were forced to suffer through. This detachment from the concept of slavery,…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In his famous “Independence Day Speech” Frederick Douglass uses an assortment of rhetorical appeals, stylistic devices, and historical allusions to expose the American government and the populace for its hypocrisy of epic and historical proportions. Douglass discusses the century-old issue, and the fear Americans have in addressing the issue, often hiding behind different ideologies such as religion, the actions of their forefathers, or their superiority complex. His controversial speech paves the way for future abolitionists and civil rights movements. Even today the subject of slavery is a sensitive topic and Douglass gives a powerful perspective on the ideologies within the complex institution of slavery. Slavery left irreparable scars as…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Because of his race, Whites during this time period would not expect him to be as intelligent and well-spoken as he proves himself to be in his Fourth of July oration. They do not imagine that he is thoroughly competent in “integrating...mental logic and reason...effectively” (Alley-Young) to strengthen his points concerning the incongruities in American policies and institutions involving slavery. Therefore, Douglass must submit himself to behaving as if he possesses “limited powers of speech” (Douglass 1). He also addresses his audience with respect and humility, requesting that they “honor” him “with their presence” (Douglass 1).…

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fredrick Douglass is an activist for the anti-slavery movement and has publically spoken at multiple different abolitionist rallies in the 1800s, shining light on the horrors of slavery. He eventually wrote an autobiography based on his experiences as a slave, describing the everyday sufferings that his people have gone through for being coloured in the United States. In chapter four of his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself”, he goes into the types of violence and oppressive that he saw and experienced, whether it was through physical beatings or the failure of a just legal system. While describing these different forms of brutality, he also uses these examples to show the contrasts…

    • 1176 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays