ipl-logo

The Great Question Answered Chapter Summary

1710 Words7 Pages

James Sloan’s book The Great Question Answered presents an abhorrent perspective of the institution of slavery within 19th-century American society. Throughout the book, themes of authority, classification, and essentialism give rise to how Sloan attempts to protect this damaging societal construction that breeds hatred and distrust. This narrative pushes forward a Christian view that gives light to several perspectives that come to the defense of slavery; using the Christian religion as his primary tool. By projecting his values, Sloan can exploit absent authorities to defend the institution of slavery, perpetuating White supremacist ideals through a Christian perspective.
Christianity is the only way to “understand [man's] relation to each …show more content…

By using the Bible as an authoritative text, Sloan liberally uses the absent authority to project his own (and confederate) views on slavery. Moreover, he exploits the Bible “by ascribing radically new ideas to ancient figures'' (cited in Martin 2017, 124 ) to justify slavery. Furthermore, he presents several views such as slavery being a sin and the Christian right to sustain a social hierarchy to maintain the natural order. Further reinforcing his ideals of White supremacy. Subsequently, it becomes mandatory for slave owners to perpetuate the slave-master relationship as part of God's intelligent device. Likewise, he promotes his classifications of human races based on the biblical stories of Ham, Japeth, and Sham. Through the curse of Canaan, Sloan extrapolates that it is a Christian moral obligation to follow the suit of their forefathers in demanding servitude from the descendants of Ham, which once again becomes a justification for slavery. Moreover, from the Christian perspective, the Bible sheds light on the creation of a favored race by God which is deeply rooted in the White supremacist ideals that justify this social race theory for the author and many others who also similarly align their views. Together, these arguments presented by Sloan take upon a Christian perspective and attempt to protect the damaging institution of slavery. They further perpetuate White supremacist ideals that develop a societal classification based on the labels dictated by biblical stories, further fostering a sense of inferiority amongst other races and oppression; negatively impacting the identities of everyone within society. Moreover, “social facts are nevertheless real facts for the community that recognizes them as such” (Martin 2017, 39). Hence, for Sloan, the social facts that support and defend his view of racial

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Frederick Douglass

    326 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who wrote a speech arguing about the “freedom” Americans truly had, and the hypocrisy that came with it. He explained many valid points such as the confusing relationship Americans had between slaves and immigrants, along with the incorrect following of the Bible. Douglass exposes said hypocrisy through his writing by recognizing that Americans contradict the bible by owning and mistreating slaves. To begin, many Americans were Christian, yet still had hatred towards black people or those of color. In Douglass’ speech, he calls out the irony of white Americans going against what the bible says about equality.

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    879 Words  | 4 Pages

    In addition, the author uses irony to illuminate the values slaveholders believed in, and the values they acted upon. With this Douglass implies slaveholders created a whole new sense of Christianity; leading a life where they believed in something but acted completely against it. By exposing this, Douglas illustrates the reality of slaveholders’ life and morals which he uses to promote the abolitionist movement. When explaining how religion affected slaves lives Douglas declares, “I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” pg.119.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

    693 Words  | 3 Pages

    This excerpt illustrates the difference between Christianity and the Christianity of the slaveholders and draws a daunting hiatus between them that cannot be crossed. Douglas said knowing true, pure faith necessitated the rejection of the accepted, wide-spread slaveholder religion as the “enemy”. The establishment that slaveholders called Christianity was simply not Christianity as it validated the actions of whipping, killing, and subjugation of fellow human beings. It was “hypocritical” because it allowed people to commit atrocities in the name of faulty high moral standards and was “the climax of all misnomers”. It was a ruse to call their system Christianity since it was manipulated into whatever it was needed to for, making it “corrupt”

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

    515 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written by himself, the author asserts that the Christianity of the slaveholders is hypocritical and used to justify their actions. Douglass supports his claim by, first, talking about the affairs that the white men had with female slaves. The wife’s knew about it but, did not think any of it since slaves were considered property. Also second, Douglass’s purpose is to point out the hypocrisy of slave owners who profess to be Christian in order to treat the slaves as not as people. Based on Douglass detailed writing is for people in power make a change in slavery.

    Read More

  • Fredrick Douglass 'Second Great Awakening'

    555 Words  | 3 Pages

    Auld’s misinterpretation of the passage emphasizes slave owners use of religion to reinforce their power over their slaves. Christianity rationalized the concept of buying and selling human beings, and that God approved this too. In addition, Douglass used religion as a way to fuel his abolition movement. Under Master Hugh’s, Douglass began to learn how to read and write. Once

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Synthesis Essay

    1080 Words  | 5 Pages

    Utilizing this illusion creates credibility to be able to refute the common arguments. Douglass wanted to break the bind that slaves didn’t have the power of knowledge through declaring, “Will not a righteous God visit for these thing?” (Page 43), after learning the news of his grandmother’s death. Criticizing Christianity, Douglass explores a new form Christianity through exploiting the authorization over slaves and the ideology of white supremacy. Similarly, Wollstonecraft refers to gender inequality through Biblical allusions of relating animals to humans and environments as to evil.

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

    1337 Words  | 6 Pages

    In his Narrative, Frederick Douglass focuses his rhetoric on slaveowners and their hypocritical relationship to Christianity as well as his own unique relationship with religion and sin, hereby disproving the stereotypes about slavery that his

    Read More

  • Analysis Of No Compromise With Slavery By William Lloyd Garrison

    596 Words  | 3 Pages

    He informs his readers that the church is encouraging atheistical and criminal acts when it supports slavery. Garrison explains that the church should be a more inclusive community that accepts everyone without judgment and separation. Garrison says, “Freedom and slavery together consuming fire” (1). He points out that the teachings of Jesus Christ contradict the action of the church. He believes we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, and Jesus set us free by dying on the cross so we each can live a dignified life.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Hypocrisy Essay

    1049 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is a common argument for Christian slaveholders to make “…that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right…” (5). this argument exposes their hypocrisy as it conveys how they attempt to stretch small pieces of scripture to justify the violence of the American slavery. Douglass thus asks if it is humane to use a small piece of writing to damn an entire race to hardship and subhuman treatment. This case of blasphemy is amplified by the observation that Douglass makes of one of his slave masters, Mr. Covey, in that “he seemed to think himself equal to deceiving the almighty” (61).

    Read More

  • Slavery And Life Of Frederick Douglass Impact On Religion

    1806 Words  | 8 Pages

    It is said that, “…even when Douglass explicitly acknowledges the Bible’s unity in Christian justifications of slavery, he does not seem to criticize the Bible itself, only its interpreters” (Hutchins, 297). One of the core arguments throughout his work is the necessity for Christians to throw off preconceived notions, and truly respond to Scripture as it

    Read More

  • How Does Frederick Douglass Use Irony In The Church And Prejudice

    933 Words  | 4 Pages

    Segregation, a lingering byproduct of slavery, affected even free individuals, especially with the prejudicial beliefs of church officials sustaining this discrimination. People used a variety of methods to resist injustices and advance the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass, who personally experienced slavery, used his literature to advocate for the end of slavery. In order to gain attention and gather a following for the abolitionist movement, Douglass had to effectively convey his struggles in his literature to earn sympathy and support. Through “The Church and Prejudice,” Douglass uses irony, contrasts, and word choice to effectively influence public opinion on slavery by bringing to light the hypocrisy of the church.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Slavery

    927 Words  | 4 Pages

    Religion and its relationship to slavery is a contradictive subject, whether it was forced upon slaves or was a form of hope and freedom is still commonly debated about to this day. However, these individuals were devoted Christians in the abolitionist movement who all

    Read More

  • Summary Of American Negro Slavery By Ulrich Bonnell Phillips

    1160 Words  | 5 Pages

    Another significant feature of Phillips’ argument is that slavery also served to train Africans for civilization, with many metaphors to the institution as a “school.” Phillip and this argument led scholarly thinking surrounding slavery, receiving both praise and

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass An American Slave Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    Christianity was, to the slaves of America, (something with a double meaning). In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Frederick Douglass, the author, argues about how Christianity can mean one thing to a free white man and something completely different to a black slave. The slave owners follow the ‘Christianity of the Land’ while the slaves follow the ‘Christianity of Christ.’ Frederick begins to build his credibility to a, white, northern, audience by including documents from trustworthy writers and by getting into personal experiences through his writing. Throughout the narrative, he is articulate in how he writes, and it shows the reader that he is well educated.

    Read More

  • Literary Devices In The Underground Railroad

    1642 Words  | 7 Pages

    From this, derives a bond with the reader that pushes their understanding of the evil nature of slavery that society deemed appropriate therefore enhancing their understanding of history. While only glossed over in most classroom settings of the twenty-first century, students often neglect the sad but true reality that the backbone of slavery, was the dehumanization of an entire race of people. To create a group of individuals known for their extreme oppression derived from slavery, required plantation owner’s of the South to constantly embedded certain values into the lives of their slaves. To talk back means to be whipped.

    Read More

More about The Great Question Answered Chapter Summary

Open Document