While reading the speech from Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, Douglass makes various statements regarding what he really believes about the Fourth of July as a holiday. In many instances Douglass argues the beliefs of the holiday too be nothing more than ironic and false in regards to his past experiences as a slave. In Douglass’s speech, we can see evidence of his message in various quotes.

Quote- “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 8)

Paraphrase- The Fourth of July is celebrated by the white man, but not towards slaves. While the white man celebrates and parties, the black man must grieve over his lost loved ones and friends. To say that the Fourth of July is celebrated with ideas of liberty, injustice, and freedom is simultaneously an irony and mockery of black’s who have been through suffering and hopelessness.

Respond- By reading this quote, its is clear how Douglass explains how the only people that can truly experience the Fourth of July are the ones who have actually had the privileged too behold and intake the liberty, freedom, and hope the holiday celebrates. Those who have not had those privileges and rights are nothing more than in a state of ridicule and irony.

Quote-“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.” (Douglass 10)

Paraphrase- As an American slave, the explanation for what the Fourth of July truly means for slaves is could only be answered with how the brutality and unjust actions that the slaves were put under and hypocrisy this holiday stands for. For when the white man laughs and dances, the slave is the sufferer of and griever during this holiday.

Respond- With the information provided in this quote, Douglass is show to describe the holiday as not so much a holiday but a funeral every time the Fourth of July would occur. In his words he describes him being the victim since the positive thoughts behind the holiday are not positive for him at all. So every time the Fourth of July of arrive, people who were enslaved and oppressed, such as Douglass himself, have too dread every second and be reminded that after all they still were not full of liberty and freedom.

Douglass also uses multiple forms of writing strategies in his speech. Two of the writing strategies that Douglass uses and those that caught my eye are persuasive writing, as well as expository writing.

In this first quote, Douglass uses expository writing strategy to illuminate his belief and speech.

Quote (1)-“Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery, the great sin and shame of America!” (Douglass 8)

Respond- This quote explains with great emotion, how Douglass manages too use expository writing to currently explain and show the situation that he is in. In the quote Douglass’s use of grammar and punctuation too make his experiences sound meaningful and demanding. He also exposes the hypocrisy that America is know too practice whilst celebrating the Fourth of July and Douglass will not stay silent about it.

Quote (2)- “For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.” (Douglass 10)

Respond- Douglass uses in this quote, a persuasive writing style since he is speaking to anyone who hears his cries of rebellion. He is persuading through his quote for the people that are in his situation too, find the fire too rise and overthrow this heinous government of the so called freedom and liberty and take what rightfully theirs. As Douglass mentions that he needs a storm or earthquake figuratively, too motivate and persuade others to join him in him exposing the hypocrisy that America has cast upon him.