Responding to Douglass

After reading Frederick Douglass’s speech I now believe that he had very strong feelings about this subject covered. In his speech, Douglass spoke out of the fourth of July. He describes the celebrations that Americans hold on this day. Though, Douglass does not understand why the Americans are celebrating. Douglass states that the Fourth of July is a day where people celebrate freedom and equality. Douglass then argues the Americans are hypocrites because not everyone is given freedom or equality. There were still people in America not given that same freedom or equality that everyone else had. Douglass talks about Americans being able to rejoice on the Fourth of July while he must mourn. “The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” Here Douglass explains that on that very day where independence was achieved, many non-slaves were given the gift of freedom and equality while enslaved people were brought pain and many of them died. This quote helps illustrate the problem he brings forward, inequality and injustice for the enslaved. It illustrates how unfair the American society was towards people with colored skin. 

For the writing strategy, Douglass uses Argumentative writing. He uses the audience’s emotions. He brings up problems with the American society to get the audience to side with him. “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.” This quote caught my attention because I could understand what he is trying to tell the audience that he had experienced injustice.