Mark Twain 's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Even the men who are in the Northern States who are black are not free. Douglass points out that “blacks are easily likely to face the death penalty for one crime, where white people would face punishment if they did the crime twice,” This, according to Douglass is slavery. This can be seen even today in our news and society. Many blacks are targeted and attacked solely based on their appearance, and experience many micro-aggressions. Douglass also says, “Do not need to argue about what is wrong with robbing these Negros from their liberty keep them ignorant from their relations to other men?” This speech truly emphasizes the inhumane, cruelty, and injustice associated with the treatment of blacks in America. While the whites look at the 4th of July as a celebratory to their lives and freedom, not everyone is truly free. It is important for Douglass to show that while many associate this holiday with prosperity and positive attributes, the blacks face slavery, prejudices, and unequal treatments day-to-day. “What is inhumane cannot be divine”, says Douglass. Later on in the speech, he talks

Frederick Douglass directs his central argument to two individuals, one being African Americans and the other being White Americans. He continued stating things such as “I was compelled to resort to various stratagems (page1 pg.1)” and “Thus, after a long, tedious effort for

Frederick Douglass was an African American who rose from slavery to become a leading voice in the abolitionist movement; he was also known to be a public speaker and writer who published many works. Frederick Douglass then went on to write an autobiography titled “My Bondage and My Freedom”, discussing in great detail the struggles of being a slave. Throughout his autobiography, Douglass argues very boldly that slavery was in institution that victimized not only slaves, but also slave owners and non-slave owning whites. Frederick’s statement is true in the sense that slavery dehumanized slaves, it destroyed the natural good in slave owners, and slavery robbed non-slave owning whites.

Douglass also in his speeches liberated what Americans in this economy would have done with blacks. In his speech “what the blacks want” he states, “I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief.” (Douglass). Society’s “America” has already put us in a category. Race we are not superior or equal to no other. Economically we don’t have the means to live out what we strive for. Education wise we have none, we are not sufficient enough to read or write for us to have a better life. Douglass in this speech stresses to leave us alone we are cable of doing bad or good on our own. His would view principle of self-ownership, which he understood to include both the racial and equality.

This is hypocritical in that the white men make these values and traditions a staple of their lives, yet when it comes to slaves, they seem to go away. He also believes that, though he will use “the severest language”(Douglass) he can, he firmly believes that “not one word shall escape me that any man whose… not blinded by prejudice, or… a slave-holder, shall not confess to be right and just”(Douglass). So he sincerely believes that the average human being also knows that the treatment of slaves is unjust and unethical, but they choose not to act on these thoughts. His view, coming from the eyes and thoughts of slaves across America, show how hypocritical the nation actually is in both one sided values and not acting upon their knowledge that what is going on is wrong.

As I analyze the speech Frederick Douglass wrote, it becomes clear Douglass satirizes and dramatizes phrases, enumerates word repetitions, and recounts thoughts filled with imagination, inspiration and personal experiences. Douglass exposes multiple hardships suffered while describing the many challenges he encounters during enslavement. Communicating to the world his distinguished life, including Douglass’ comments while living as a slave along with multiple treacherous conditions, Douglass elicits questions and extrapolates empathy from this reader. Douglass’ guides readers understanding as to why life as a slave symbolizes attacks on individualism. His characterizations allow future generations to continue to sympathize with the plight of humanity should we not oppose this immoral lifestyle. Douglass’ speech enriches and elevates deep empathy for slaves. Douglass vividly highlights each spoken word as he interprets his past life and identifies his anticipations of one day living free.

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.

Frederick Douglass was a gifted speaker. He wanted to convince a crowd of hundreds that were gathered together to celebrate Independence Day not only about the hypocrisy of slavery, but also to essentially “sting the conscience of America (Braswell).” When Douglass was asked to speak on Independence Day, there were still more than 3.5 million African Americans enslaved (Braswell). Throughout his life, Douglass advocated equal justice and rights for African Americans. That brings us to the first theme, which is inequality. In our past readings, this has been a prevalent theme. For example, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, we saw slavery with the peasants and the inequality within the aristocracy. In Benito Cereno, we were able to see slavery with African Americans. In this reading, however, we get to see first hand someone calling out the American people and voicing that slavery should be eliminated. In our past readings we have seen many forms of “heroes.” My question for the

“For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Is it not astonishing that, while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, working in metals of brass, iron, copper, silver and gold…that, while we are engaged in all manner of enterprises common to other men…we are called upon to prove that we are men!” (Douglass) During his speech, Douglass elaborated on the different aspects of why blacks have a natural right to freedom as any other human being He argued it is wrong to turn a man into a “brute” and proceeded to argue that slavery is not divine in its origin. Douglass’s speech was a calling for equality, for change. He accomplished his goal and proved the fourth of July was a revolting reminder to him and those like him of the continual inhumane cruelty American attempted to conceal through its mockery.

From the very beginning Douglass’s mindset is that of independence and strength. With very little knowledge of his biological parents other than his mother lives 12 miles away and his father is white, he acknowledges that “it is of but little consequence to my purpose” (234). To

The Life Of Frederick Douglass unveils the disparity and generalizations towards African Americans in a detailed embodiment due to their physical differences (the color of their skin.) In the Narrative, we can see that once a slave is conceived or brought into subjection, they will remain a slave until death part them. As a slave, you do not have much since you were forced to surrender and dedicate yourself to pleasing your master. During this time period that Douglass’s narrative was written, race withstands to stand embodied as a human personality. More often than not the lacking of this factor can keep individuals from showing themselves and having their own particular character, simply because the slaves were treated an emotionless piece of property belonging to their master.

Year after year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novel takes place in the south during the year 1845. With his abusive father, and no mother, Huck is left feeling lonely, and as if he has place to call his home. So he decides to leave town, and on in his journey where he encounters a slave he’s familiar with, Jim, who is also running away. This story captures their relationship and growth as they face many obstacles on their way to freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes people’s greed and violent behavior by mocking the stereotype of southern hospitality.

He writes this quote to show how society worked to indirectly state that if a master did not get rid of his African American child then the child may never know that his master is his father because he would always be treated like a slave. Douglass uses this to show his indifference to his father being his master because regardless of blood his complexion allows him to still be treated as a slave due to pressure towards his master from society as to not favor his African child.

Douglass’s speech provides a rebuttal to the several of the prominent excuses for slavery at that time. Initially, Douglass addresses the idea that the slave is not human. However, Douglass combats the notion by reminding the world that not only is the slave a man, but he also reminds the world that no one actually disputes that idea. Douglass points out that “the slaveholders themselves acknowledge [a slave’s personhood] in the enactment of laws for their government” (379). How then Douglass wonders, could slaveholders oppose the manhood of a slave when their laws would treat the Negro as a being capable of moral decision and education (380): elements that make up a man?

Douglass equated the achievement of manhood, self-acquired freedom, and personal voice. Douglass lacked an identity for the first many years of his life, as was the case for most slaves. Henry Louis Gates Jr. points out how “deprivation of a birth date, a name, a family structure, and of legal rights makes of the deprived a brute, a subhuman…” (6). Black