Why Do People Face Hardships?

The legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was one of the most important social reformers of the nineteenth century. Being born into slavery on a Maryland Eastern Shore plantation to his mother, Harriet Bailey, and a white man, most likely Douglass’s first master was the starting point of his rise against the enslavement of African-Americans. Nearly 200 years after Douglass’s birth and 122 years after his death, The social activist’s name and accomplishments continue to inspire the progression of African-American youth in modern society. Through his ability to overcome obstacles, his strive for a better life through education, and his success despite humble beginnings, Frederick Douglass’s aspirations stretched his influence through

Adversity can bring out the positive and negative sides in a person. In “The Proof of Worth,” Edgar Albert Guest demonstrates how challenges in life can help someone understand what he or she is capable of during a hardship. Similarly, “The Importance of Adversity in Growth and Development” written by Patrick Kohan exemplifies how children will never learn how to conquer an obstacle if they are always given assistance. Additionally, Laura Hillenbrand’s novel, Unbroken, indicates that experiencing problems can affect the way a person’s body reacts and thinks about a difficult moment. Ultimately, the authors highlight that obstacles can be a complex or helpful task, as well as assist people in the future when they need to know their true

As the Roman poet Horace once said, "adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant." In other words, he believed that challenges are beneficial because they bring out talents that would have stayed hidden otherwise. He thought that adversity would force a person to use their unknown talents out of desperation. Some argue that his theory is irrelevant and that a person 's skills will develop just as well without adversity if they have the capacity, but I believe that hardships will evoke and improve on their dormant talents.

Overcoming advers requires being brave and noble. Also, being able to look on the positive side in life in tough situations. Overcoming illnesses, disabilities, or disfunctional families can be very hard to deal with. Sometimes you just need to keep going and not look back and by doing so a lot more opportunities may appear in life. Christy Brown in My Left Foot, Bethany Hamilton, and Jeanette Walls in The Glass Castle are all examples of people who had to deal with great hardships in order to push them to become the successful and mature people that they are today.

Horace, an ancient Roman poet from around 50 BC (Coolidge 90), is quoted on saying “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” Now while Horace was very intelligent, and this quote seems to be correct, there are also numerous occasions in which adversity has brought about the inverse reaction. Throughout history, adversity has repeated both of the effects many times, such as: in Horace’s life, the biblical story of Joseph, the War of 1812, during the Great Depression and throughout World War II.

Frederick Douglass, a historic civil rights activist, was born into slavery and fortunately lived long enough to see it end. He may have outlived the enslavement however, equality and direct freedom was not a result of Americanized slavery’s extinction. Douglass lived his post slavery life during the time of Jim Crow laws, enforced segregation laws. He wrote a letter to an unknown recipient, briefing describing the negative impact these laws had on blacks. Although slavery was abolished, it was believed that the act on dominance still played a big part on how whites treated blacks and still does today.

The Roman poet, Horace once said, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant”. Horace argues that difficult circumstances critically impact the development of one’s character. Although some may argue that character will reveal itself regardless if adversity is present, I agree with Horace’s perspective, adversity determines one's potential capabilities, strengthens personal values, and provides a feeling of self-worth.

“Though slavery was abolished, the wrongs of my people were not ended. Though they were not slaves, they were not yet quite free. No man can be truly free whose liberty is dependent upon the thought, feeling, and action of others, and who has no means in his own hands for guarding, protecting, defending, and maintaining his liberty”. In Frederick Douglass’s “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” Douglass explores his past as being a slave, telling how he overcame being enslaved and escaped to the north. Douglass was suspected to be born into slavery in 1818. He escaped to the north in 1838, prior to the breakout of the Civil War. When Douglass was free, he became a large role in the Abolition movement, and publicly spoke out against slavery. In his second autobiography, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” Douglass again discusses his life as a slave, but also his fight against slavery. One of the most influential characters in american history, Frederick Douglass, continues to influence society today.

In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. We can evidently see that Douglass does not want to describe only his life, but he uses his personal experiences and life story as a tool to rise against slavery. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery.

Abolitionists, both black and white, had different philosophies and tactics in trying to end slavery. Frederick Douglass was one that believed in sparking revolution through the media and political platforms. Through these platforms, he spread messages of awareness and rebellion, believing that the end of slavery had to be done by force (Zinn 167). In 1857, Douglass spoke to the masses stating that “if there is no struggle, there is no progress…Power concedes nothing without demand” (Zinn 167). Although Douglass used print media and public speeches as his main methods, he also supported acts of rebellion, even when violence was involved. His refusal to join Brown may indicate to some that he was not for violent revolts, but the true intention

A hardship is a challenge ar difficulty in life for you to overcome therefore,hardship can influence a person’s life because those who persevere overcome the hardship.

Frederick Douglass was a man who was outspoken about the abolition of slaves. He believed all men were equal as the Declaration of Independence states. He spoke of his feeling regarding the unjust treatment of the African Americans in the United States. Frederick Douglass’s book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” allowed us to see his life at the same time as the unjust treatment of the slaves in the United States. Slaves were property. They had no value, no rights, no freedom and treated as such. Douglass also allows us to see the growth of a boy to a man who dreamed of freedom and was finally able to have freedom. He gives readers insight about how his life and his fellow slaves’ life compared to life

“Yon bright sun beheld me a slave - a poor degraded chattel - trembling at the sound of your voice, lamenting that I was a man”(Frederick Douglass). Mr. Frederick Douglass spoke intelligently and articulately in this well-written letter to his old master, Thomas Auld. Douglass used metaphors, wit, and irony in this sentence to his master, He sounded, “removed” and placid as he spoke very straightforward, bold, yet respectful way about the degradation of being treated as personal property instead of a human being. There is a little melodrama in there but he still remained cool and very intellectual. Mr. Douglass believed slaves deserved to be free, and should be treated equally as humans with rights.so he used his own experiences as a slave to help abolish slavery everywhere. Slaves are human and did not deserve

James Oakes’ political analysis of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass is an intricate one. He pursues the duos; a frontier lawyer and a former slave, the president and the most sought after black, the shrewd politician and an agile reformer who are carefully engaged in the context of political succession, emancipation and civil war in the 19th century. Being a prime time when slavery is a fiercely contested issue, the two closely associate in the bold spectrum, differing and agreeing, disregarding and approving each other in different instances, with Oakes ultimately drawing their paths through the epic transformation. This paper seeks out Douglass’ and Lincoln’s approaches that shift some positions in slavery abolition in 19th century America.

Barriers throughout someone’s lifetime could shatter them, or help them to build and become a better person. Either way, it is a decision one makes on their own. Some people’s hardships are worse than others, but that does not mean it was not tough for them to handle. Conflicts could even help shape the person going through a tough time. Simone Biles was determined to become stronger from her challenges, mentally and physically.