Sylvana Rincon

English 1121

Quote 1: “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. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour” (Douglass 10).

Rephase: The 4th of July to a slave is injustice, false, a joke and an insult to man of color. This celebration only reminds a slave more than any other day of the year how miserable and worthless they are to a white man. This day shows to slave how evil and cold-hearted white man are.

Response: In this quote you can see how angry Douglass is about the injustices towards slaves. He is furious for being asked to talk about the great 4th of July; when the people of color especially the slaves have no part in this day. He describes how ridiculous is the celebration of Independence Day when slaves do not enjoy liberty like white people do.

Quote 2: “When you can point to any such laws, in reference to the beasts of the field, then I may consent to argue the manhood of the slave. When the dogs in your streets, when the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a brute, then will I argue with you that the slave is a man!” (Douglass 10).

Rephrase: When there is a law out there that protects the slaves from the savages, I will consider discussing about the bravery of the slaves. When slaves and enslavers are completely equal, to the point that not even the animal could see the difference between them, then I can dispute with you that slaves are equally human.  

Response: This quote supports my interpretation of the text because he shows that he knows brave slaves are. However, he is angry about the fact that there are no laws that protects them and gives them equal rights as the tyrants. He supports laws of complete equality for slaves so that not even a dog, a fish or anybody can see the difference between them.  

Part 2:

Quote 1: “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. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour” (Douglass 10).

Response: The strategy Douglass used in this paragraph caught my attention because he completely describes what the 4th of July is to slaves. He lists many characteristics so that the audiences understand and visualize that the Independence Day is a complete mockery to slaves because they don’t enjoy of liberty and independence.

Quote 2: “The right of the hunter to his prey, stands superior to the right of marriage, and to all rights in this republic, the rights of God included! For black men there are neither law, justice, humanity, nor religion. The Fugitive Slave Law makes MERCY TO THEM, A CRIME; and bribes the judge who tries them. An American JUDGE GETS TEN DOLLARS FOR EVERY VICTIM HE CONSIGNS to slavery, and five, when he fails to do so” (Douglass 13).

Response:  Throughout Douglas’s speech he uses metaphors to describes the injustices towards slaves. However, I liked this one in particular because he uses it to explain how the rights of the enslaver, that abuses and mistreats the slaves, are more important.