Underground Railroad Rhetorical Devices
In the contemporary era, the issue of race remains a prevalent topic in public discussion. Thus, Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is meaningful as it explores the legacy of racial injustice in the United States and its consequences in today’s society. In his development of the underground railroad as a literal and physical vehicle to freedom, Whitehead is able to candidly detail the ubiquitous nature of racial prejudice and the horrors associated with it. Over the course of his novel, the author utilizes a variety of rhetorical devices in order to further explore the many hardships that ‘freedom’ inevitably entails. In particular, Whitehead’s use of imagery, character interactions and Aristotelian appeals brings to attention aspects of race relations that were and are still often misunderstood or disregarded by society. It is important to note, however, that the oppressed do not remain oppressed forever as demonstrated by heroine Cora’s persisting efforts to break free. Thus, through his uncensored narrative of slavery, Whitehead sets precedence for the impassioned social resistance movements in the modern era by arguing that the most enduring road is the one that leads …show more content…
In many ways, Whitehead’s novel itself, is a fierce symbol of resistance. He encourages individuals to resist the attempts of the unjust, who wish to erase the diverse nation that history has worked so hard to build. Today, freedom in American is often taken for granted. Taking a look at the struggles faced by those enslaved, therefore, forces individuals to pay close attention to and learn from America’s frightful history. In doing so, modern generations have the ability to work towards building a better world, laid alternatively, on the foundations of equality and acceptance of all, regardless of sex, gender, and
Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad
242 Words | 1 PagesWhat would it mean to shed light on a part of history that remains largely invisible because it was conducted in secret and under cover of night? This was the challenge faced by Colson Whitehead, for example, in his award-winning novel, “The Underground Railroad.” A clandestine and loosely organized network of activists, safe houses and secret routes, the actual Underground Railroad shepherded as many as 100,000 slaves to freedom in the six decades before the Civil War. Its route would eventually traverse free states from Maine to Iowa, extending as far north as Canada.
Rhetorical Analysis Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July
904 Words | 4 PagesThese particular facts contribute to his overall push for continued, assertive action against the government. He finds it essential that the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester be able to visualize such revelations on the reality of American society. Realizing this provides them the means to take more radical steps towards greater civil equality and rights for African Americans, despite the laws prohibiting equivalent efforts. This shift brings the author closer to his end result of using passionate language to convey his
Symbolism In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal
648 Words | 3 PagesIt didn’t matter what the whites did to them to try to keep them down, they would still work just as hard as the white man to be socially equal. In this journal entry, I’ve talked about Ralph Ellison, A novelist and scholar, I also wrote about one of the main building blocks of fiction, which is symbol, in the short story “Battle Royal”. This important building block of fiction is what makes this short story so empowering and moving. This story gives us an insight on how hard it was being an African American male in the 1900s.
Similarities Between The Hunger Artist And Harrison Bergeron
1370 Words | 6 PagesImagine yourself in America in the 1700’s under strict and unfair british rule. As a citizen, wouldn’t you want to free yourself and change your life forever. Although rebellion and defiance in society was necessary then, it is often looked down upon in society today. In the stories Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut and The Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka, they analyze the lives of two different rebels who are forgotten by their own society. In Harrison Bergeron, Vonnegut writes about the life of George and Hazel, whose son, Harrison had gone to prison.
Dr. Jacobs Ethos Of A Fallen Woman
680 Words | 3 PagesAnalogous in form to the spiritual autobiography, the slave narrative emphasizes the difficulty of upholding moral goodness under the weight of slavery. By revealing herself as a “fallen woman” Jacobs creates a hazardous problem, capable of eliminating the sympathies of a primarily white audience. Moreover, Jacobs risks portraying herself as an impure woman, whose virtuousness departs from the piousness and gracefulness typically exemplified by the ideal woman or “angel in the house,” according to the “Cult of True Womanhood.” Therefore, in an effort to preserve the ethos of her argument, Jacobs attributes her unchaste condition to the systemic effects of American slavery. Hoping to destroy the ideology of benign paternalism, Jacobs reveals her consequential ethical dilemma through a faint description of her master’s, Dr. Flint’s, licentious behavior.
Slavery In 12 Years A Slave By Solomon Northup
782 Words | 4 PagesWhether or not a slave narrative is able to persuade its readers of the inhumanities of slavery, the complexities within slave narratives and the discussions they create should not be overlooked. There is power within the act of writing one’s personal journeys and hardships throughout life, and that power gives former enslaved people the opportunity to express their own thoughts while making changes for future generations. Solomon Northup’s 12 Years A Slave gives a heart-wrenching depiction of what slavery was like in America. If the cruel images of the realities of slavery do not affect readers emotionally, then there is at least hope that the logical arguments raised throughout the novel can persuade those who are unwilling to see slavery
Figurative Language In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal
1091 Words | 5 PagesRalph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” is a short story exemplifying how an African American slave descendant fits in a white man’s world post slavery, a continued fight against racism, and their yearning for equality. This story centers on a teenaged African American protagonist, as he faces his deepest uncertainties when he realizes his success in life may be hopeless shortly after hearing his grandfather’s startling final words. Although a year is not mentioned, this story is published in the late 1940s. Ellison takes us on a journey depicting African American’s oppression post slavery era with the main character through the use of figurative language, tone, and symbolism/allegory. A review of these three literary tools will reveal the main character’s
Rhetorical Devices In Escape From Camp 14
769 Words | 4 PagesEscape from Camp 14 is the true story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who is the only known person to have been born in and escape from a North Korean labor camp. After numerous interviews, the book’s author, Blaine Harden, details the reader about Shin’s life both inside and outside the camp as he assimilates into different societies. As critical information is revealed, Harden uncovers the corruption in the political landscape in North Korea. Shin’s life in Camp 14 accentuates the struggles to gain basic human freedom and elucidates food as an even more precious commodity. The straightforward diction and intriguing combination of rhetorical devices effectively expresses the brutality and oppression in the North Korean prison camp.
Literary Devices In The Underground Railroad
1642 Words | 7 PagesLiterature is often credited with the ability to enhance one’s understanding of history by providing a view of a former conflict. In doing so, the reader is able to gain both an emotional and logistical understanding of a historically significant event. Additionally, literature provides context that can help the reader develop a deeper understanding of the political climate of a time period. Within the text of The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead’s, the use of literary elements such as imagery, metaphor, and paradox amplifies the reader’s understanding of early 19th century slavery and its role in the South of the United States of America. Throughout the novel, Whitehead utilizes a girl named Cora to navigate the political and personal consequences of escaping slavery, the Underground Railroad, and her transition
Ahistorical Elements In The Underground Railroad
1621 Words | 7 PagesColson Whitehead chose to represent South Carolina ahistorically to comment on how racism and discrimination continued after the abolition of slavery, and he did this by incorporating elements of American culture and discriminatory decisions that did not appear historically until after the abolition. Whitehead uses the section of his book that takes place in South Carolina to comment on the racial segregation prevalent in America in the early-mid 20th century. In South Carolina as it appears in The Underground Railroad, slaves are owned by the state government and assigned to work in their own communities. They are given amenities such as housing and money for food in return for their services, but they are required to stay separate from the white community.
David Walker's Appeal Analysis
343 Words | 2 PagesWalker speaks with distinctive honesty and passion about the cruelty of slavery. An Christian himself, he signals out white Christians for their double standards in supporting slavery, and society that treated most people of African origin as non-human possessions to be bought, sold or disposed of at will. He debates that, compared with slavery at other times and in other places, slavery in the United States is the most awful in history. Walker begs Black
Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis
935 Words | 4 PagesDouglass quickly remembers that “the ferocious beasts of the forest lie in wait for their prey.” He understands that so long as he is a black man in a white man’s country he will never truly be free. At any given moment a white man can capture him and return him to
What The Black Man Wants Analysis
487 Words | 2 PagesFrederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.
Rhetorical Devices In The Fourth Of July
1056 Words | 5 PagesThis will get the listeners thinking about what sincerely is happening with the issue of slavery and stimulate interest in the abolitionist mindset. Additionally, the author laconically questions, “What to the American Slave is your Fourth
Rhetorical Devices In The Underground Railroad
1490 Words | 6 PagesIn particular, Whitehead’s use of imagery, character interactions and figurative language brings to attention aspects of race relations that were and are still often misunderstood or disregarded by society. It is important to note, however, that the oppressed do not remain oppressed forever as demonstrated by heroine Cora ’s persisting efforts to break free. Thus, through his uncensored narrative of slavery, Whitehead sets precedence for the impassioned social resistance movements in the modern era by arguing that the most enduring road is
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