Discussing the difficulties that Frederick Douglass and other slaves have encountered during the first half of the 19th century. The struggles are being told in “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass. The main obstacle was learning to read and write and being stripped from that experience so African-Americans don’t become educated. Fearing the ideas of their owned slaves surpassing them in intelligence and overthrowing them. But comparing that to of “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X of the mid-20th century where slavery ended but racism is still America’s greatest threat.
Towards the end, plans to free Jim have been labeled by critics as a return to minstrelsy, but under the surface they represent the systematic oppression of freed slaves and African Americans. They were seen as ploys for the whites to use for entertainment with no concern to their situation or troubles. Tom uses Jim for his own entertainment, and this is acceptable to society. Huck is even confused as to why Tom would help him, as Huck does not know that Jim has been freed. Huck labels this moral development as a result of his poor upbringing and rejection of society.
Armand may be seen as hypocritical here because “ He has treated his slaves with violence and cruelty based on the color of their skin, and now he must face the fact that he is part African American himself” (“Irony in Desiree’s Baby”…1). This plot twist is somewhat beautiful in a tragic way because it leaves the readers in shock and the antagonist is in complete dismay. Armand could of had a beautiful life with a loving family but he chose to let lineage destroy their future. Desiree loved him madly but as soon as he thought she was part African American he got rid of her. The greatest part of this
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the world famous book about slavery, depicts the tragedy of the main character whose name is Tom. Generally speaking, the book creates an atmosphere to show the darkness of slavery and appeals people to fight against slavery together. Stowe, the author of the book, has strong political objectives that influence the style and formal aspects of the novel a lot. She creates good characters to spread her ideas perfectly instead of making simple ones. From my perspective, I consider the politics of the novel making up for the disadvantages of its literary shortcomings.
Douglass sees the system of slavery as unsustainable because he believes that slaves will eventually find a way out of the system. He explains that once he realized that “white man’s power to enslave the black man” came from “wit,” he knew that he must learn to read, and in that he found the “pathway from slavery to freedom” (Douglass 34). Once he learned to read and write, he was not only able to realize the full extent of slavery, but he eventually found his way to freedom. He believes that in education and becoming literate lies the escape from slavery, and that education would eventually collapse the system of slavery, once the slaves began to learn to read and write as well. Marx similarly sees the system of capitalism as unsustainable, but he is less hopeful for its inevitable demise.
He is trying to figure out if an African American could be as intelligent as white royalty if they are provided with the same education. Taught by Mr. Gitney and Dr. Trefusis, Octavian flourishes through attention and praise. However, this all changes when Mr. Sharpe begins funding the college. Octavian’s funding for education is cut back significantly because he is ‘just a slave’. Through this novel, you will explore a world of injustice, feel for Octavian as he loses everything he has ever known, and cheer when he resists and builds a life for himself in the cruel world he’s fighting to live in.
Stowe takes into consideration that since slave-based labor maintained the economy. It became necessary for her piece of work to generate an emotional effect on the audience. Emotion is a tool that writer’s exercise to tap into audience’s emotions to motivate an audience to act and relate to the speaker’s thoughts and positions. Stowe’s pathos skill of incorporating the subject of family and the descriptive language of Harris’s life experience illustrates the cruelties of slavery. The institution itself has no sympathy and mercy even if an African-American could pass as a Caucasian.
Although the society’s standards and his father are repressing, Huck has his own inner voice and would listen to them. That’s why when he meets Jim, a running away slave, Huck helps to save Jim and runs away with him. By the society’s standard, running away slave is intolerable and has to be caught and punished. However, Huck acts against the society’s standard even though he knows it’s wrong to help Jim run away. There exists so much racism in the society.
“Just Walk on By” Alex Haley, an American writer in the late 1900s, once said “racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics” Although he was famous for his literature, Haley still faced racism for being black. In his quote, he briefly explains why racism is still around, and why people discourage minorities. Similar to another black writer, Brent Staples, a journalist, wrote several essays trailing his life growing up black. One of the essays Staples wrote, “Just Walk on By”, was a reflection of how his mere presence on the street was enough to frighten a woman.
To understand an individual, it is necessary to place ourselves in their shoes. In the novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, the author addresses the need for human understanding in order to destroy the evils of racial prejudice. Scout, the main character, is the representation of innocence due to being a pure, young girl who views her surroundings with an untainted perspective. She is inclined to consider people’s point of view in order to understand them. She is taught this by her father, Atticus, who risks everything as a lawyer to defend a black man who is accused for a crime that he did not commit.