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The Not So Beautiful: Frederick Douglas, Harriet Jacobs, And Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

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America The Not So Beautiful America is known as the land of the free and home of the brave, but the reality is that not everyone in America was free. This essay is about the influence black romantic writers have on their readers and how black Americans today can relate to the topics of the writings. I will include information about the writings of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. While reading the works of these three writers I noticed some recurring themes within their experiences. All three of the writers made a connection with the reader by talking about racism/slavery, bravery, and spirituality. Being able to read the work written by former slaves helps the reader understand what was actually going on during that time period and how racism continues to occur in the world today.
One of the first black writings I read was, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July (1852), by Frederick Douglass. In this speech, he expresses his feelings towards the famous holiday, the Fourth of July. The reason for the celebration behind this …show more content…

In many shows and stage talents, actors and actresses would perform in blackface to portray African Americans. According to Blackface in Black and White: Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Frederick Douglass’ Hometown Newspapers, 1847 (2003) by Fee. Jr., and Frank E. “In the theaters, white performers used burnt cork to blacken their features and parodied African Americans in songs and skits that employed broad racial dialects and exaggerated racial mannerisms” (E., 74). The problem with blackface is not only is it highly offensive, it continues to happen in the world today. For example, on halloween many caucasian people enjoy wearing darker makeup to make it appear that they are black. People of all races should realize that it’s never okay to make a mockery out of someone's culture, features, and

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Dolezal’s adopted brother believes that she is participating in “blackface” which is an example of mockery of black people. “Dolezal’s performance of blackness…based on a lie…” According to Blow, the situation is not solely about appropriation or pretending to be someone you are not. This situation is “about privilege, deceitful performance and a tortured attempt to avoid truth and confession…” Device •

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When slavery was abolished in 1865, it was a critical turning point in the journey towards equality for African Americans. Prior to the eradication of slavery writers like Frederick Douglass sought to free millions of slaves in America. While slavery was a well-known and growing problem in the south, it wasn’t as widely recognized in the north. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave‎ Douglass recounts his experiences and tribulations as a slave. In the narrative Douglass effectively uses rhetorical imagery, antithesis, and irony in order to expose the harsh reality of slavery during the 19th century.

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There was singing, dancing, and comedy. One practice that emerged, however, was the blackening of one's face with burnt cork or shoe polish. These white men would emphasize the shape of their lips and then parodied their speech patterns. These blackfaced characters became a huge success but brought

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The writings of Frederick Douglass and Upton Sinclair provide examples the address the essential question, how does literature shape or reflect society? Cultural events and ethics provide inspiration for authors to discuss the political and social occurrences during this era. In his autobiography, Frederick Douglass, explains his yearning for freedom when he was a slave. Frederick Douglass was born a slave, escaped to freedom, and used the rest of his life to fight slavery. Frederick, as a child, is deprived of learning to read and write because his owner Mr.Auld told his other owner Mrs. Auld not to teach him.

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Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Legacy of Blackface Minstrelsy In the 19th century, the history of American entertainment had one popular and peculiar form that was referred to as the blackface minstrel act. The act was supposedly an American indigenous act that was performed by artists who were black faces.

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They all believed that slavery was a cruel and ruthless act that should not continue. These three men helped abolish this act in other countries, and more countries still need the characteristics of these men to help abolish slavery in their own countries. They didn’t only write books and articles about slavery, but also inspired slave owners to quit the act. When slavery was still taking over many countries, humans were considered “subhumans”, were treated poorly and wars or massacres arose because of these tremendous events. Frederick Douglass, Moses Brown and William Lloyd Garrison helped minimized these events from happening and helped demolish it in their own countries.

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In 1773, there were slaves all over colonial America working in plantations, and cleaning their masters houses. It wasn’t common for a slave to be writing poetry with their owners consent. Phyllis Wheatley’s success as the first African American published poet was what inspired generations to tell her story. It was her intellectual mind and point of view that made her different from others, both black and white. Phyllis’s story broke the barrier for all African American writers, and proved that no matter the gender or race, all human beings are capable of having an intelligent state of mind.

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He became and advisor and diplomat to people like Abraham Lincoln. His work greatly educated the public about slavery and helped move the abolitionist movement forward. His famous works are "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" and "The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself." By publishing these works and speaking to the public, he showed everyone that black people were intelligent and talented people too, and deserved freedom. His main causes were to free the slaves and end it.

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The Minstrel show set the stereotypes for African Americans in the 19th century. With the shows mimicking demeanor and use of black face, the minstrels showed the way they believed African Americans acted. The interlocutor would wink to the audience to establish the mutual understanding that the performers are differentfrom the audience but only because the performers are in the blackface. Acknowledging that the blackfaced white actors are only in black face and are not actually “black” is an important destinction that entertains the white audience and performers. The mintrels would say that the performance was not aimed to discuss the direct connect between the white mintrel performers and the African Americans.

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This is not to say it is a morally upright practice, or even morally-laden at all, but it is entirely feasible. Context versus content is a key consideration in examining any media artifact. The use of blackface versus the consumption of blackface performances demonstrates two different ideas—especially when African-American performers and even black sympathizers engage in the production practice. The use itself became such a standard mode of presentation that, for the sake of commercial effectiveness, was adopted. The consumption, then, is something

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In Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs narrative they show how the institution of slavery dehumanizes an individual both physically and emotionally. In Jacobs narrative she talks about how women had it worse than men did in slavery. While men suffered, women had it worse due to sexual abuse. The emotional, physical, and sexual abuse was dehumanizing for anyone.

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Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.” He wonders why the ‘land of the free’ is only free for white people and what it takes for the ‘human spirit’ to truly be free. Douglass uses his narrative as a means to show us that he won his freedom, he made himself free but as long as anyone else is still enslaved, he is not a free man. I believe the provocative questions posed by Frederick Douglass along with the experiences he suffered in slavery work together to make his narrative a hit and this why it sold many copies in the United States of America and Europe also.

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In the realm of American literature, Lorraine Hansberry’s "A Raisin in the Sun" and Langston Hughes’ "I, Too, Sing America" stand as iconic representations of African American experiences, portraying struggles, aspirations, and resilience. " A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry portrays the aspirations and challenges of a black family in 1950s Chicago, while Langston Hughes’ poem "I, Too, Sing America" reflects on African Americans’s identity and their fight for equality. Through an examination of the themes of value, desire, and struggle, this paper will explore the similarities and differences between "A Raisin in the Sun" and "I, Too, Sing America," delving into how both texts illuminate the experiences of African Americans in different

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Douglass’s Message to Women Frederick Douglass gives many examples of the treatment of women like the following passage: “this is done too obviously to administer to their own lusts, and made a gratification of their wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable; for by this cunning arrangement, the slaveholder, in cases not a few, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father.” (Douglass 1183) Through this passage, Douglass brings to light that enslaved women are raped by their masters because of the master’s lust and the master’s desire to produce more slaves. By looking at the passage in the context of the rest of Narrative of Life, Douglass makes it clear that women who are raped by their masters and birth a child from the rape have it worse than others because of the excess brutality they receive from the master’s wife.

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Throughout the course of African American Experience in Literature, various cultural, historical, and social aspects are explored. Starting in the 16th century, Africa prior to Colonization, to the Black Arts Movement and Contemporary voice, it touches the development and contributions of African American writers from several genres of literature. Thru these developments, certain themes are constantly showing up and repeating as a way to reinforce their significances. Few of the prominent ideas in the readings offer in this this course are the act of be caution and the warnings the authors try to portray. The big message is for the readers to live and learn from experiences.

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