What to the Slave is Fourth of July?

Douglass thinks that the Declaration of Independence was put together by great men even though he does not respect them. He states that this revered document grants the American ideals of liberty, justice, and prosperity only to whites; it does nothing for blacks. Therefore, the Fourth of July is a day of importance only for the white people and it “reveals the immeasurable distance between” the whites and slaves. From the slave’s point of view, by celebrating the Fourth of July, “America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future”. America’s idea of freedom is false as there is only liberty for the whites. The Fourth of July also reminds the slaves that they are not considered totally human and they cannot own anything. Douglass thinks that slavery is wrong and that all men should be free. He thinks that it is wrong to make men “brutes” or animals to treat how you please. It is wrong to take their freedom, to make them work without being paid, to beat them, and to sell off their families.

Douglas appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos to engage his audience. He gives striking examples of the prejudices towards blacks to show the injustice. For example, he shows the inequality of punishment. There is a double standard because there are only two crimes in Virginia which punish whites by putting them to death. On the other hand, there are 72 crimes that would put blacks to death. This is not fair. In addition, black people have to prove that they are men, yet they are given sentences as if they were animals. Douglass stresses the fact that blacks are men, but they do not have rights that white men have. He states it is wrong to make men “brutes” or animals to treat how you please. Douglass also appeals to ethos. His view is credible because he is black and was a slave who escaped. He had experienced the injustices of slavery. He appeals to pathos by asking the audience questions that will get a negative reaction out of them towards slavery and the treatment of blacks. He also uses contrasts to show how different the Fourth of July is for blacks. For example, he says “This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.” Douglass even says it is mockery to have him speak about this topic because American independence is a hypocrisy. Lastly, he recites a poem to appeal to pathos. It implicitly shows how slaves feel and how they dream about being free. In addition it infers that God’s will is that all men shall be free. Douglass’ speech has made an excellent case that “slavery is a sin and the shame of America.” It has shed a new light on the meaning of Independence Day.

Socialization Process

According to Parrillo, the socialization process is when people obtain “values, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of their culture” (586). This normally happens when a child learns from his parent’s conceptions about the world and its people. The child accepts his parent’s views because he knows nothing else. He assumes these views are valid and they become part of his values and beliefs. Parrillo says that prejudices are “taught and learned through the socialization process” (587) much like cultural values are taught. These prejudices can affect a person’s perception and attitude (whether good or bad) toward another group of people.

I think that prejudices and beliefs are predominately instilled in this manner. I one’s parents are prejudiced toward a certain people or group, then the child will grow up with these same beliefs. The child will hear his parents talking and expressing their prejudices, so the child will generally accept these views as correct since he has no alternative conceptions.

Fortunately, I do not think the child will always grow up and mature with the same short-sighted beliefs this parents have. If a child is well-educated, is exposed to a variety of cultures, and becomes aware of his surroundings, one will realize that his thinking (and parents) is wrong and will try to change it. It might take awhile to adjust his thinking, but at least he is conscious of their environment and is willing to change his ways. The key is to have close interactions with those against whom one believes one has prejudices. Through this close involvement, the child will get rid of his prejudices and be accepting of people with diverse backgrounds.

Jefferson

Many people in America perceive Thomas Jefferson as a person who was against slavery and who wanted equality for everyone because he is the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence is considered to be one of the greatest documents of all time. In this document, Jefferson declared that all men are created equally and every human has an equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The truth is that Jefferson was a hypocrite as he did not believe in equality for everyone. He only wanted equality for white men and not for anyone else. Specifically, he thought that blacks were “inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind” (555). In fact, he stated that they had a “disposition to sleep” like an animal because their existence was based more on “sensation than reflection” (353). Not only is this comparison to animals degrading, but Jefferson went on to say that even Indians have better oratory skills and a much greater imagination than blacks. Jefferson used the excuse of the inferiority of blacks to say they should be emancipated gradually over time. Moreover, they should be colonized or sent away from white society. According to his “Notes on the State of Virginia,” Jefferson did not want to assimilate blacks into white society because he was afraid whites had too many prejudices and he had a fear of intermarriages. Perhaps his real fear was he had illegitimately fathered offspring with his female slaves and he did not want them around to remind him of his wrongful actions.

This article has provided more insight into Jefferson’s “equality.” He obviously believed only white men were equal and had rights. It took years of suffering and fighting for civil rights before blacks, Indians, and women gained their chance at equality.

Comparing Cora Tucker and Willy Loman

Cora Tucker is strikingly different from Willy Loman. First off, Cora does not believe in Willy’s philosophy that success depends on who you know and being “well-liked.” In fact, many whites hate her for they have spit on her, slashed her tires, or soaked her bed with gasoline. This has not hurt her confidence nor stopped her from pursuing her dream. Cora’s philosophy is to work hard, learn as much as possible, and improve conditions for the blacks and the poor. Her actions and dedication have made her successful. She is respected both by whites and blacks as she has made a difference.

Next, it seems that Willy depends, not on himself, but on others for his success and for that of his sons. For example, he blames not being a better salesman on the fact that his first boss died. He believes Bill Oliver will help make Biff successful by giving him ten thousand dollars. In contrast, Cora does not depend on anyone to be successful and is self-motivated. She takes the initiative to get ahead by getting a job at a manufacturing company. Through her hard work at this job, she saves up enough money to buy her own land and build a house. In addition, Cora does not depend on others in the community of Halifax to change the poor treatment of blacks. She goes out and does it herself by getting involved. She lives by the saying, “the time doesn’t get right; you make it right” (359). Cora improves the conditions for the blacks and the poor (“the underdogs”) by fighting against racial discrimination, getting people to take an interest in voting, and lobbying for better healthcare. For example, she motivated the black people to write to their representatives in Washington about their voting rights. As a result of her efforts, five hundred letters were sent supporting the voting law. She even founded her own organization called Citizens for a Better America (CBA) which helps fight inequality.

Lastly, Cora Tucker had the courage to keep fighting and pursuing what she believed despite racial prejudices and lack of support from many family members. Willy, on the other hand, had given up. He realized he had failed as a salesman and his only last hope was to see if Biff truly liked him or not. The only thing left was for him to commit suicide so that Biff would get twenty thousand dollars from the insurance policy. Willy’s life did not amount to much, but maybe with this money Biff could get ahead. In contrast, Cora has much to show and to tell about her life. She has accomplished much and has improved the conditions for many in Halifax. Halifax is now hiring minorities, trying to solve discrimination in schools, and placing more blacks into school systems. Cora has persevered, and has “raised a little hell” to make a big difference.

Willy's Belief About Opportunity and Success

Willy believes being well-liked and personally attractive is the key to individual opportunity and success. He thinks one must not just be liked, but be well-liked or liked by many people, to be successful. Willy does not believe education gives one an opportunity, but “the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want” (33). He formed this philosophy about life from watching Singleman, a salesman he used to know. Willy believed this salesman was successful because of his attractive personality, not because he was selling a good product. The only thing the salesman had to do was pick up a phone and his clients would eagerly buy his products since they liked him. Willy was impressed and believed Singleton must have been successful as so many people came to his funeral. Willy tries to model himself after Singleman, but because of his wrong perspective, he is not able to achieve his wish. He dies with this false dream and no one comes to his funeral.

In the end, Willy realizes how wrong his dream is. He is not well-liked as he has been fired. Willy admits his life is “ringing up a zero” (126). His sons, whom he has taught to think that being well-liked will make you succeed, are failures. Happy, who has been in Biff’s shadow all his life, has not amounted to much as he is the assistant to the assistant at his job. He ultimately rejects his father. Biff does not have a steady job and he hops from one job to the next. He tells his dad, “I stole myself out of every good job since high school!” (131) Biff realizes he, like Willy, are “a dime a dozen.” Now, Willy’s last hope in life is gone as he realizes that Biff, his favorite son, does not believe he, Biff, will be successful. Willy commits suicide so the insurance policy will give Biff twenty thousand dollars.

Reaction of a Presentation #2

We finished up all the presentations in our block period of English today. We had a total of seventeen people present. One of the many presenters was Brittney Williams. I think for her being so nervous to get up and speak in front of the classroom, she did a really good job. I thought her speech was very powerful and she connected to the audience. She spoke with power and emotion, which drew in the attention of the class. Also, she could connect with her organization because she, herself, is a minority. This made it more personal.

Her organization was the NSHMBA, which was founded in 1988. The purpose of it is to help the poor Hispanic and their community. It helps the poor with leadership and financial management, helps them get accepted to college, and teaches them skills so they can be successful. She used good statistics and facts to open her speech.

Reaction of a Presentation

One of the five presentations today was made by Alex Meregaglia. He volunteered to present first. The non-profit organization he chose was Goodwill Industries. He explained to the class how Goodwill has helped the poor by getting them employed and by helping them stay employed.

Alex used many statistics and facts to help back up his argument. I found the fact that every 56 seconds, Goodwill helps someone get a job interesting. One of his rebuttals was that citizens do not have that much money to donate to Goodwill. He refuted this point well because he told how instead of giving money you could help by donating old clothes, furniture, cars, and other items. Alex also told a success story due to the help of Goodwill.

I liked how Alex moved from the podium, to the front of the room, and back to the podium. I thought he sounded somewhat like an actual Goodwill rep. His conclusion was catching when he said, “Goodwill. Good cause”. Overall, I think Alex did a nice job presenting Goodwill and I could tell he prepared for his speech.