Let Me Liberty Or Give Me Loss Rhetorical Analysis

Within the written piece “What is an American?” by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, the reader is introduced to an unique perspective of an American. Written in 1781, it offers a surprising amount of insight into the times and the realities of a poor immigrant, while still being comprehensible for those who have never had to experience the struggle of immigrants. The ever complex definition of an American is given by those who do not abide by the typical American standards.

The prominent patriot Patrick Henry once said, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Henry 7) implying that a life without liberty is not a righteous life. Henry’s quote is included in his popular oratory, “Speech to the Virginia Convention”, in which he discusses with the colonists who were under the tyrannical reign of the Crown. Throughout his speech, Henry lists all of the discrepancies the thirteen colonies had with Great Britain, concluding that there is no other option, but to retaliate instantaneous. In Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” he utilizes amplifying loaded words and coherent parallelism in order to influence the assembly to unify and reciprocate.

The American Dream establishes a journey to achieve a goal in order to start a new life. In “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman, Walt Whitman illustrates the arrival to endorse a connection with the American future. Therefore, Walt Whitman conveys the experience of arrival using images to highlight the steps to reach the American Dream. As a result, the experience of arrival introduces a similar goal people are trying to achieve, which connects one another. Nevertheless, the people arriving are individuals who seek and work to find the American Dream and settle to a new beginning. Thus, to represent the experience of arrival, Walt Whitman uses the symbols of the ferry, the natural surroundings and the city of Brooklyn to convey the celebration of the American Dream.

In the story “The New Colossus” it talks about the Europeans wanting to come to America and pursue the American dream. They had the belief that the Statue of Liberty, in this story she is called The Mother Of Exiles, is asking the countries to “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States, she was the golden door to America, offering refugee to those who were seeking freedom.

Douglass began his speech to the audience by asking a series of rhetorical questions in addition to the use of sarcasm. He referred to the Declaration of Independence as “that” instead of “the” Declaration stressing a separation between African-Americans and the freemen of the United States. He extended the use of his rhetoric by asking, “What have I or those, I represent, to do with your national independence?” Slaves, whose freedom is denied, do not share other Americans’ patriotic feelings regarding the Fourth of July. His use of these rhetorical questions was valid because it separated Douglass as a different man than the rest of his white audience. Furthermore, Douglass asked, "Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty?" He indicated that people knew in their hearts that all were entitled to freedom. Douglass demonstrated sarcasm in this principle of freedom, almost as if the aforementioned rhetorical question shouldn’t need to be stated. He further declared that the stigma separating free whites and enslaved African-Americans was blatantly foolish.

By supporting the Revolutionaries actions to break free from British Rule, Douglass alluded to the similar fight that the American population faced to attain the same liberty that white citizens had. With the same courage the Founding Fathers had to create a free country, the American generation of 1852 faced a similar test to uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence, and liberate American slaves.7 After applauding the Founding Fathers, Douglass acknowledges that the emphasis of his speech is not to give praise, but to call on America to act on it’s own failures and begin to faithfully fulfill the nations oath.8 He asks his audience, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us [African Americans]?”9 This rhetorical question Douglass presents, challenges America to reevaluate what they are truly celebrating on the Fourth of July, for it is surely not the freedom in which they claim to have achieved. Douglass asserts that asking black people to rejoice in the “shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery”10 and do not respect the courage, and steps the Founding Fathers took to create a free, liberated nation.11

Picture this, a man or women living in poverty with their family they dreamed of having the life they always hoped for. The hope for opportunity and freedom that they wished for, imagine he or she take the few things they had getting on a boat only being able to afford to stay on the steerage deck heading to America. These people who made their way to America are known as immigrants and this was their chance to start a new life for themselves and family. In the illustration, “Scene on the Steerage Deck” by Frank Leslie and the speech “Address on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty”, by Franklin D. Roosevelt expresses freedom and opportunity, two of the promises of America.

“Give me liberty or give me death!” Was expressed by Patrick Henry some 241 years ago. But why did he say this? What caused him to say this? This famous quote was said in a speech at the Virginia Convention in 1775, just when the American Revolution commenced. What is the American Revolution? Well let me break it down for you. Essentially, there were 3 key factors that contributed to the American Revolution; first, The French and Indian War and the distance between Britain and the colonies; Second, the sudden transmutation in British policy and the placement of obligations; Third, the American’s desire to oppose the British.

Since the founding of the United States of America, immigrants have always been welcome to pursue for a better life on the soil of the United States, which is known for freedom and also called the land of the free. The symbol of liberty on Ellis Island called The Statue of Liberty, which was gifted to the country from France, has an engraved sonnet by the famous American poet Emma Lazarus which writes, "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddle masses yearning to breathe free..." Which defines the country and opens the arms of the United States to immigrants. With the country opening its arms, the number of immigrants entering United States soil have increased immensely. With such a vast number of immigrants attempting to gain access into the

African-Americans have fought on many of liberty’s battlefields from the pre-emancipated plantation to the killing fields of the Civil War. African-Americans have always been willing to fight not just for their freedom, but for their country as well. Yet, their country never lived up to its founding document that asserts that, “All men are created equal; ”instead,

The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, a destination for many of the early American immigrants, reads an inscription, ?Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" (National Park Service, 2016). This excerpt from a poem by Emma Lazarus encompasses the American spirit that led to the American Revolution and separation from England. America was a country comprised of immigrants who came to the New World to make a home of peace, safety and, as the statue stands, liberty.

What does “Liberty or Death” means? It means that they hunger to be free or the will kill you. They wish to be free from whatever you’ve been forcing them to perform and they are willing to die for it. If you choose not to give them their freedom they will bring death to you. These people would rather die than remaining as a slave, liberty is worth dying over. Freedom is not you something that you can take from a human being without a fight. The fight that they will give will be a fight that you will never forget, since they will never stop coming at you. They possess nothing to lose anymore except for their life which they are willing to

America loves the idea of liberty; throughout history, liberty has been “given” through the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Civil War, even the American Revolution. In, Give Me Liberty! Eric Foner focuses on the major issue and theme is the idea of liberty and freedom. However it was only granted to the whites. Liberty was not given, and our country was based off of harsh treatment and oppression. African Americans were forced to slavery and Native Americans were forced to give up their land along with their “savage” ways of life. Eric Foner focuses on the main issue of liberty, which is never given.

The Americans begged the British by addressing to the king to "Give [them] liberty or give [them] death" (Daniel 167), which was used to protest in the speech of the Revolutionary warfare. This declares that the people will fight for their rights, justice and freedom from Great Britain. This means sacrificing their lives for the upcoming generations to receive their victorious rights. Although, the colonists protested and spoke with the rulers of Great Britian, the people were still unheard.

"The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it."