The belief that freedom appears out of thin air is preposterous, instead freedom must be earned by making mentally destroying sacrifices. The story “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” exemplifies the theme of freedom and sacrifice through many awe-inspiring memorable characters. Harriet Tubman is just one of the selfless characters that demonstrates the theme, freedom comes with sacrifice. Along with Harriet Tubman, Thomas Garrett and Ellen Craft presents this theme in a way that is similar to Harriet Tubman, yet different in their own way. All in all, the theme, freedom is earned through sacrifice, is establish in an influential way by the conductor, Harriet Tubman.
Harriet Tubman is a conductor of the Underground Railroad, who is a living
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representation of being determined and selfless to achieve the goal of getting slaves to freedom no matter the sacrifices. She is a significant influence in the Underground Railroad where she leads hundreds of slaves across the border of Canada and she serves as symbol of hope for slaves. Harriet Tubman’s actions exemplifies the meaning of making sacrifices for freedom during all her harsh journeys where she sacrifices her comfort in Canada to go back to plantations to free slaves. This action further proves to the readers that when she made this decision she sacrificed her comfort for the freedom of others. In the story, “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom”, she threatens one of the eleven slaves, who rues the day when he decides to embark on the bone breaking journey, with a gun. This one event embodies the fact that she was willing to sacrifice a life of an indecisive slave for the freedom of the ten other slaves. Therefore, Harriet Tubman has a personality in which she can be selfless and determined to complete her job as a conductor and not comprise the Underground Railroad, ultimately making her essential. Last but not least, Harriet Tubman was able to face the fact that she would face certain death if she was caught and the other runaways would be punished. “If they were caught, the eleven runaways would be whipped and sold South, but she – she would probably be hanged” (443). This character trait of “Moses” in where she can handle the crushing fact that she would be brutally killed if caught proves to the audience that she is incredibly courageous, brave, and determined. Furthermore, Harriet Tubman is not the only character of “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom”, who embodies of the theme of sacrifice and freedom. Thomas Garrett is a righteous person who grants hospitality to runaways for the Underground Railroad. Thomas Garret’s significance in the Underground Railroad is unimaginable because without him having the beliefs of a Quake the slaves without shelter would likely die due to the harsh climates during the journey. Thomas Garrett establishes the theme of freedom and sacrifice since he allows the runaways to enjoy his shelter and have a sense of security in his home. The action proves to the readers that Thomas Garrett sacrificed the security of his house by allowing the runaways to use the privacy of his home to help them reach freedom. Thomas Garrett’s significance is represented when he sacrifices his time and effort to create shoes and feed the exhausted runaway slaves due to his Quaker beliefs. This indicates his significance because without him the slaves will be without shoes to prevent frostbite during the grim journey making it harder than needed. Thomas Garrett solidifies his significance for the Underground Railroad by being a person who believes that all people should be free and is willing to go great lengths to help these poor runaways. “He was a friend of all fugitives. He called them God’s poor.” “He was a big man and strong, but he had never used his strength to harm anyone, always to help people” (443). These quotes prove Thomas Garrett relevance in helping slaves to freedom because of him being a Quaker, who wishes to give freedom to all by helping the runaways during the journey. Therefore, Thomas Garrett is a person who exemplifies the theme sacrifice and freedom, while being alike to Ellen Craft. Ellen Craft is a person who is so incredibly pale she looks like a white man and is brave and clever.
Ellen Craft’s major influence on the Underground Railroad is that she inspired many runaways to fight through the tough journey to freedom. She embodies the theme of freedom and sacrifice in “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom” by registering in a wealthy hotel as a male plantation owner and takes a sacrifice of leaving her old life behind and could be whipped if caught. This connects to the theme since she embraces the freedom of acting as wealthy male plantation owner and embraces the fact that she could be caught and sacrifices her old life. Ellen Craft’s actions to become free was used in stories to inspire the slaves to keep fighting. This proves she has major influence on the Underground Railroad because she inspires runaways to freedom, without her the slaves will return and turn traitor since they gave up the hope of freedom. The way Ellen Craft became free was ingenious and overall intelligent in how she disguises as a wealthy white plantation owner man. “Ellen pretended to be very ill-her right arm was in a sling and her right hand was bandaged because she was supposed to have rheumatism. Thus, she avoided have to sign the register at hotels, for she could not read or write” (445). This quote demonstrates how Ellen became free and her influential actions likely inspired many slaves to do the same for the same hopes of being free. All in all, Ellen Craft, Harriet …show more content…
Tubman, and Thomas Garrett are just some of the characters in the story that embody the theme of freedom and sacrifice. There are many characters that embody the theme of sacrifice and freedom and is represented throughout the story.
Some of the awe-inspiring characters were Harriet Tubman, who single-handily led hundreds of slaves to freedom and Thomas Garrett, a person that was friends with all runaways. Last but not least, Ellen Craft, a woman who inspired many to escape from their plantation and her stories lifted the spirits of others to keep on fighting for freedom. In conclusion, the theme of sacrifice for freedom not only implies to Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom it is demonstrated throughout human history and in today’s daily
life.
He implies that her sudden fame of her tremendous efforts to overcome her racial oppression was strategically planned to help support the movements for equality in labor and civil rights. Tubman gave these social fighters a symbol for their cause. For Tubman, McPherson also investigated the level of truthfulness in her legend, as discussed by her biographers. The author grappled with her medical history of seizures documented through her dictations to those around her who were literate and also through the accounts of others working close to her, saying that these extreme medical issues conflict the writings on her physical and mental strength. Furthermore, comparing Tubman’s seemingly miraculous ability not to get caught with another fugitive slave of the time, Harriet Jacobs, McPherson further suggests that the legend of Harriet Tubman may be nothing more than that. Questioning the validity of Tubman’s “primary” sources allows McPherson to show that her popularized image could feasibly have been exaggerated for political
Richard Rodriguez author and journalist wrote a short piece “Scholarship Boy” to explain to his audience of underprivileged children wanting a better future, the scarifies he endured as a young child: the loss of family ties and knowing himself in order to succeed a better self. Another great author who faced huge sacrifices is known as none other than abolitionist leader Fredrick Douglass, “Learning to Read and Write” giving his found audience a look into the various dangerous tasks he took to give himself a better chance of survival. The two pieces show how one boy sacrificed so much in order to free himself and the other coming from less harsh circumstances but understand sacrifices just as well. All to be able to have a better and brighter future.
In summation, Tubman and Truth were exceptionally brave women who fought for ideals in which they strongly believed. While Tubman’s courage was founded in a rebellious nature, Truth’s courage was based in her faith in a Higher Power. Both women, despite their differences in opposing their foes, have rightfully earned their positions as heroines in American history with their efficient and effective duties as abolitionists.
“ I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.”~Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman sacrificed her life and freedom as well. She organized the Underground Railroad, and freed hundreds of slaves. As if the journey wasn’t difficult enough,stated by the book, Who Was Harriet Tubman, “But the trip was even more dangerous after 1850. That was because the Fugitive Slave Law had been passed.”(pg.56) The Fugitive Slave Law meant that runaway slaves who made it to the free states had to be sent back to their masters. People were allowed to beat the slaves and sell them back into the South too. Even though the situation was tough, Harriet Tubman never gave up on what she thought was
We know her as the “Moses” of her people; she left a remarkable history on the tracks of the Underground Railroad that will never be forgotten. Harriet Tubman born into slavery around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Harriet Tubman was a nurse, spy, social reformer and a feminist during a period of economic upheaval in the United States. For people to understand the life of Harriet Tubman, they should know about her background, her life as a slave, and as a free woman.
In the earliest part of Harriet?s life the whole idea of slavery was foreign to her. As all little girls she was born with a mind that only told her place in the world was that of a little girl. She had no capacity to understand the hardships that she inherited. She explains how her, ?heart was as free from care as that of any free-born white child.?(Jacobs p. 7) She explains this blissful ignorance by not understanding that she was condemned at birth to a life of the worst kind oppression. Even at six when she first became familiar with the realization that people regarded her as a slave, Harriet could not conceptualize the weight of what this meant. She say?s that her circumstances as slave girl were unusua...
Civil rights activist, Harriet Tubman once said, “Always remember, you have within you the strength the patiences, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” (Tubman). Harriet Tubman had the courage to save hundreds of propel through the underground railroad. She had faith in her beliefs, and knew that even though she was risking jail time, she was doing the right thing. Civil disobedience is is when people are trying to bring attention to a law. They break that law knowing that they might go to jail, but to them it is worth it. Harriet Tubman’s involvement in Civil Disobedience was done to influences she chose to participate in Civil Disobedience to protest slavery, and she did achieve success using the controversial method of standing up for what she strongly believes to be right.
Conducting the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievement for the following reasons.Harriet was taking the biggest risk helping others.This was a big risk she was taking because if they got caught they could all be sold back into slavery.They had to walk until they reach Canada to be safe.There were many different routes they took to escape.They had to walk miles and miles to escape.Harriet lead many slaves to freedom.She helped many of her people escape.She wanted them all to have the right of freedom.Harriet Tubman’s life is important to study because she constantly was doing good work with no benefits.She would always put her life at risk helping
Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland in 1820. She was a house servant at ages five through six and became a field worker at age seven. She received an injury while protecting another slave from an angry overseer and was hit on the head. She would fall into deep sleeps randomly for the rest of her life. She married John Tubman in 1844 who was also a free black man.
In summary, Harriet has done too many things for families like mine to not be considered a hero in my eyes. She has walked through freezing cold, hungry and tired, but has never faltered on her journeys. She has sacrificed her own safety and well-being several times for the helpless and imprisoned, yet she never stopped her travels. She has constantly persevered through danger, prejudice, and legal limitations; even up North. For these reasons,
In his influential autobiography, Frederick Douglass helps pave the way for the early abolitionist movement using his own life story to bring forth the evils of slavery. He illustrates the hardships of slavery during antebellum America, focusing not only on the historical and economic issues of slavery, but mainly on the innate morality of human beings. Although many readers during this period were skeptic of the works authenticity, it brought the proper awareness to an issue in which corrupted America for many years. Frederick Douglass’s account against slavery exploits the brutal nature of slavery in way that shocked those who had looked past its harsh nature. By putting the reader in first perspective on the everyday life of a child born into slavery, he successfully uses the transitions of his life to open the people’s eyes to the crime that is slavery.
Often when we think of slavery in the 1800’s we associate the concept with only black slaves. However in the book of Uncle Tom’s Cabin we see that if mister Shelby wasn’t a slave owner and owed the debts to Haley, he has been just as likely to become a slave working for Haley. It is we arrive at the question what does it mean to be free and how do we obtain it. We will be looking at Frederick Douglass’s definition of slavery and how he overcame it through increasing his own literacy as a result of reading.
Numerous are mindful of the considerable deed that Harriet Tubman executed to free slaves in the south. Then again, individuals are still left considerably unaware about in which the way they were safeguarded and how she triumphed each and every deterrent while placing her life at risk of being captured. She is deserving of the great honor she has garnered by todays general society and you will find out her in the biography. The title of this biography is “Harriet Tubman, the Road to Freedom.” The author of this piece is Catherine Clinton. ”Harriet Tubman, the road to Freedom” is a charming, instructive, and captivating book that history appreciates and is a memoir than readers will cherish. The Target audience of the biography is any readers
What is freedom? This question is easy enough to answer today. To many, the concept of freedom we have now is a quality of life free from the constraints of a person or a government. In America today, the thought of living a life in which one was “owned” by another person, seems incomprehensible. Until 1865 however, freedom was a concept that many African Americans only dreamed of. Throughout early American Literature freedom and the desire to be free has been written and spoken about by many. Insight into how an African-American slave views freedom and what sparks their desire to receive it can be found in any of the “Slave Narratives” of early American literature, from Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustav Vassa, the African published in 1789, to Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself which was published in 1845. Phillis Wheatley’s poetry and letters and Martin R. Delany’s speech Political Destiny of the Colored Race in the American Continent also contain examples of the African-American slaves’ concepts of freedom; all the similarities and differences among them.
At first glance, the book “my bondage and my freedom by Frederick Douglass appeared to be extremely dull and frustrating to read. After rereading the book for a second time and paying closer attention to the little details I have realized this is one of the most impressive autobiographies I have read recently. This book possesses one of the most touching stories that I have ever read, and what astonishes me the most about the whole subject is that it's a true story of Douglass' life. “ Douglass does a masterful job of using his own experience to expose the injustice of slavery to the world. As the protagonist he is able to keep the reader interested in himself, and tell the true story of his life. As a narrator he is able to link those experiences to the wider experiences of the nation and all society, exposing the corrupting nature of slavery to the entire nation.”[1] Although this book contributes a great amount of information on the subject of slavery and it is an extremely valuable book, its strengths are overpowered by its flaws. The book is loaded with unnecessary details, flowery metaphors and intense introductory information but this is what makes “My Bondage and My Freedom” unique.