So the reading, within the homework which we had to do, that caught my eye the most, was Fredrick Douglass's "What the Fourth of July Means to the Negro." I found it interesting that the first part of Douglass's speech praises what the founding fathers did for this country, but then the speech soon developed into a condemnation of the attitude of American society toward slavery.
I also have a question, did Douglass considers himself a citizen of America, and an equal to the spectators in attendance....?
I found it interesting how he tells the audience that they have gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July, but all the while reminding them that the nation is young, and, like a young child, it is still capable of positive change. Therefore he was advocating for them, but then he apologizes to them... so did he feel as though he was different than them?
And lastly, i found that the real subject of his speech is American slavery. He condemns America for being untrue to its founding principles, in both the past, and the present. The audience must fulfill what the founders of the country advocated.
Overall, it was very powerful, and i enjoyed the read, because history has always been of interest to me, especially the civil war and slavery periods.
No comments:
Post a Comment