Social perspective is the connection between the behavior of an individual and the structure of the society. This is a perspective that can be related to the poems The Explorer and Frederick Douglass. These poems are based on the struggles of African Americans and what will happen when they have freedom. Archetypal perspective is also influential to these poems they help he or she relate to the suffering African Americans. African American suffering was a serious thing in the time period that these authors wrote these poems. When he or she looks back on the history behind these poems he or she can see that it is a serious thing that they had to go through. Also when they got emancipated they still didn’t have freedom because they couldn’t do …show more content…
many of the things that the whites could. All they knew how to do was work in fields, so when they were emancipated they didn’t know what to do. Many of them kept working for the whites, but got paid for it this time. They didn’t get paid well, though. This is why African Americans struggled. The Explorer and Frederick Douglass are two poems that symbolize human longings and African American suffering, we can analyze this by using social perspective and archetypal perspective. The Explorer by Gwendolyn Brooks shows how African American suffering went about using social perspective. Social perspective is between and individual and a society. Brooks shows this a lot in her poem The Explorer when she says, “Somehow to find a still spot in the noise was the frayed inner want.” This shows African American suffering because the person in the poem is searching for her inner want, which is to find some peace within the chaos, and the society is so tattered it won’t let the narrator. The society is so confused and stalked up with their own wants and needs that they don’t understand what the African Americans are going through, or for that manner anyone else’s for that manner. The white society in this time was self-absorbed and didn’t understand that the individual race of the African American’s is not people. This is because they had never looked at them as people. They hadn’t been taught that everyone has feelings and everyone is a person. This is how Brooks designs her poem so that people feel for the African Americans and understand the suffering in their society. Many people have never studied this poem, so they don’t fully understand the people and what they have gone through. Robert Hayden is the author of Frederick Douglass which when using social perspective he or she can fully understand the seriousness of the African Americans suffering in the time that the poem was written.
Hayden was paying a tribute to Frederick Douglass that is why the poem is called Frederick Douglass. Douglass was an influential person in African American society. He changed the way many people saw the individuals that were suffering in this society. He helped them understand the social barriers and perspectives of each side. He helped free them, but he wasn’t necessarily remembered for it. In the poem it says, “This man shall be remembered.” This is what Hayden says in his poem and it shows that he thought that Douglass would be remembered for a long time. Hayden wasn’t as right as he should have been. Many people don’t realize how serious this is. We should have remembered him for all the things he did for the individuals in the African American …show more content…
society. Using archetypal perspective, he or she can understand more fully universal human longing in the poem The Explorer. Human longing is the same universally. Everywhere around the world people suffer and long the same way, but it may not be for the same thing. The way that African Americans are portrayed in this time period is definitely an archetype. This is because it is a standard that they are going to be treated this way. Also, this is why they are still not treated as they should. The way they are treated now is also a standard because they are still not treated equally. Like Brooks states, “He feared most of all the choices that cried to be.” This quote shows many people are scared of making choices because they are scared of the outcome. This is a standard to most humans because nobody wants to know what the outcome is going to be. Really they aren’t scared of the choice, they’re scared of the outcome and which one would have been better to choose. Frederick Douglass by Robert Hayden shows a lot of standards towards human longing because it shows how they were treated and how they hope that will change.
Frederick Douglass, the person, sets a standard for the future whites and how they are going to treat the African Americans. Hayden says that many people are going to remember him, but he never says that they are going to appreciate what he did for them and understand what they had to go through before and after they were emancipated. Hayden states, “brain matter, diastole, systole, reflex action.” This quote shows that everyone’s brain is made the same and works the same. This means that their automatic reflex action to their hearts and thoughts is not going to be a positive one. Since it is already ingrained in their thoughts and mind it can never be erased, unless they are taught when they are young that everyone, including blacks are equal. This is why not respecting blacks as actual equals was a standard because everyone believed it and knew it was true for their time period. Now it is a standard that people learn that everyone is equal because they learn when they are little, this is why technically African Americans are equal to us
now. Robert Hayden’s poem Frederick Douglass and Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem The Explorer are two poems that show suffering towards African Americans and human longing if he or she uses social and archetypal perspectives. When studying about the African Americans many need to read these two poems because they set the stage for the rest of the time period. This is because they show he or she what African Americans had to go through. They help interpret and analyze what the archetype was back then for African Americans. Also, what they hope to be the archetype now. These two poems help us out a lot and teach us that many people are still suffering because of this movement.
Frederick Douglass was an enslaved person and was born in Talbot County, Maryland. He had no knowledge of his accurate age like most of the enslaved people. He believed that his father was a white man, and he grew up with his grandmother. Douglass and his mother were separated when he was young, which was also common in the lives of the enslaved people. This concept of separation was used as a weapon to gain control of the enslaved people. In short, despite the obstacles he had to endure, he was able to gain an education and fight for his freedom in any means necessary.
Douglass and Thoreau both felt as though the government as well as society turned a blind eye to the mistreatment of human beings, especially during slavery. He saw freedom being celebrated, but it just reminded him of how so many were willing to continue on not dealing with all of the wrong that had taken place. Regardless of what he saw before him, he refused to forget. Douglass felt that “to forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking,”. Instead, he chose to deal with the subject of American Slavery, in which he brought out the idea of individuals supporting what was wrong rather than what was
... William Lloyd Garrison the main idea of which is to set free the enslaved ones and establish legal state based on true democracy and equality of people. This moment is especially powerful because it allows Douglass to extend the scope of his influence. He makes an attempt to show that all people are the same, there are no exceptions. There will also come times when things will change as long as there are people who can recognize and tolerate otherness without harming this Other.
Slave owners in the South were some of the most cruel and inhumane human beings out there. They used many tactics to maintain a prosperous system of slavery amongst them. Like many, Frederick Douglass was born a slave. Deprived of as much as possible, Douglass knew not much more than his place of birth. Masters were encouraged to dispossess slaves of any knowledge and several of them did not know their birthdays or other personal details of themselves. The purpose of this was to keep slaves as misinformed of anything other than labor as possible. Slave owners knew the dangers that would upraise if slaves became literate and brave enough to fight for freedom.
In, “The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass”, readers get a first person perspective on slavery in the South before the Civil War. The author, Frederick Douglass, taught himself how to read and write, and was able to share his story to show the evils of slavery, not only in regard to the slaves, but with regard to masters, as well. Throughout Douglass’ autobiography, he shares his disgust with how slavery would corrupt people and change their whole entire persona. He uses ethos, logos, and pathos to help establish his credibility, and enlighten his readers about what changes needed to be made.
In the “Narrative Life of Frederick Douglas” Frederick Douglas discuss his life of being born a slave to him escaping to the North for freedom. Since slavery wasn’t abolished until 1865 in the U.S. and Douglas didn’t publish his book until 1845, he wanted to show people the truth behind slavery and hopefully people would understand that slavery is not something that needs to be around no longer. Although, Douglas explains his life story and he also points out a few harsh moments other slaves have to go through as well. Therefore, the overall argument is slavery being abolish and how Douglas plans his escape.
In a preface of Douglass' autobiography, William Lloyd Garrison writes, "I am confident that it is essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from the imagination; that it comes short of the reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to SLAVERY AS IT IS."(Garrison, 34). The significance of this statement validates and promises that Douglass' words are nothing but the truth. This made the narrative more marketable to the white audience and people were listening. Douglass realized that he did not need assurance from white people to be respected. That's why he addressed his master for all the wrong things done to him. Slaves are looked as not human. Douglass completes his journey from slave to man when he creates his own identity. He speaks out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author. Douglass tells his story not simply as a search for fr...
During Douglass lifetime one of his most important significances is about the 13th amendment, which still is very relevant in today’s society. The 13th amendment made it illegal to own slaves, and it was taken in to effect in 1865. (Fletcher, George P. pg. 52) The 13th amendment wasn’t an easy amendment to get through since slavery was such a big part of the society, especially in the south where many people owned multiple slaves. However, due to the fact that Douglass was a high ranked politician, and had great oral skills he was able to influence both the people in the society, congress, and House of Representatives. Though, it wasn’t only because he was a high ranked politician he was able to influence people and make them understand how horrific the slavery actually was. Twenty years before the 13th amendment was passed in congress, Douglass released an autobiography book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.” In his autobiography book he explained about how it was to be a slave, what he had to do and how terrible it was. Additionally, he also explained about his escape from slavery and how he got in to politics, and different Anti-Slavery organizations. It’s very important to have Frederick Douglass in mind when talking about the 13th amendment because without him the 13th amendment most likely wouldn’t have passed
In his speech he tries to make white people consider the behavior of black people. Specially their feelings towards a national occasion such as Independence Day. At the time of Douglass’s speech America were actually two different nations, white and black. Two separated nations one had great benefits
Because of that, his writing seems to manifest a greater meaning. He is part of the African-American race that is expressed in his writing. He writes about how he is currently oppressed, but this does not diminish his hope and will to become the equal man. Because he speaks from the point of view of an oppressed African-American, the poem’s struggles and future changes seem to be of greater importance than they ordinarily would. The point of view of being the oppressed African American is clearly evident in Langston Hughes’s writing.
When first introduced to Douglass and his story, we find him to be a young slave boy filled with information about those around him. Not only does he speak from the view point of an observer, but he speaks of many typical stereotypes in the slave life. At this point in his life, Frederick is inexperienced and knows nothing of the pleasures of things such as reading, writing, or even the rights everyone should be entitled to. Douglass knowing hardly anything of his family, their whereabouts, or his background, seems to be equivalent to the many other slaves at the time. As a child Frederick Douglass sees the injustices around him and observes them, yet as the story continues we begin to see a change.
To begin, one of the most influential black African Americans is known as Frederick Douglass. Throughout his whole life he worked hard to fight for life and equality. The purpose for this research paper is to argue information about Frederick Douglass life and impact.
In this final research analysis, I will be doing a comparison between the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” and the “Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” to show how both Douglass and Rowlandson use a great deal of person strength and faith in God to endure their life and ultimately gain their freedom.
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe”( Douglass). This famous quote epitomizes the philosophies of Frederick Douglass, in which he wanted everyone to be treated with dignity; if everyone was not treated with equality, no one person or property would be safe harm. His experience as a house slave, field slave and ship builder gave him the knowledge to develop into a persuasive speaker and abolitionist. In his narrative, he makes key arguments to white abolitionist and Christians on why slavery should be abolished. The key arguments that Frederick Douglass tries to vindicate are that slavery denies slaves of their identity, slavery is also detrimental for the slave owner, and slavery is ungodly.
Michael Douglas is actually the eldest of Kirk Douglas' four children. Being a son of a superstar, and being a superstar yourself, would typically mean that you have the world and YOU are the world, right? But unfortunately, not all superstars or A-listers feel that way. There are hidden feelings, challenges and even enemies that these people had to endure. One of these unfortunate A-listers who have to experience all of these is Michael Douglas, himself.