Better Government through the Eyes of Thoreau and Douglass

The United States has always been the ideal for a better life and the sought-after ‘all-American dream’. Thanks in large part to the founding fathers with their inspirational words and declarations, freedom of choice is available for each and every United States citizen: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,”. While these words convey a sense of a just government coupled with equality for all, neither of those concepts were always implemented or accepted as the status quo. Before the Civil War, two great men had similar thoughts about what was wrong with the United States government: Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Douglass. Both of these men had entirely different backgrounds, but Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July have much in common concerning the legitimacy of the laws at the time.

Civil Disobedience speaks of the fallacies of ‘big’ government. In fact, Thoreau believed in the idea of no government at all, claiming in his essay that when man was ready for it, they would govern themselves, (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). His ideas may have been rooted in common sense, but at the time they were radical. Radical was also the describing word for Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. He began by complimenting the founding fathers and their sacrifices, leading into a lamentation of slave’s oppressions in comparison with the ideas of freedom sustained only 76 years prior. Douglass explained quite eloquently how the Fourth of July was not a holiday to be enjoyed by all, because it was a celebration of freedom earned only for the white man. Slaves were in chains, at times literally, therefore the Fourth of July for a slave was a holiday that was a pantomime of freedom and equality. The arguments brought forth by Douglass and Thoreau appeared on the surface to be vastly different, but there are some common threads that bond them.

Essentially, Douglass and Thoreau both desired a better government. Thoreau demonstrated this in Civil Disobedience, “But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government,” (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). Douglass also displayed his will for an improved government in What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, “[…] nations number their years by thousands. According to this fact, you are[the United States], even now, only in the beginning of your national career, still lingering in the period of childhood. I repeat, I am glad this is so. There is hope in the thought, and hope is much needed, under the dark clouds which lower above the horizon,” (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). 

Civil Disobedience was not exactly an anti-slavery piece, but it called for men to use their conscience above all else, a sentiment which Douglass would have wholeheartedly agreed with, “Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience,” (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). Given Thoreau’s words, it can be safely assumed that he believed slavery to be an act unjustifiable, to be rectified by men with morals and a conscience.

The United States has had decades to evolve and learn from society’s many mistakes. However, over a hundred and fifty years ago, Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July were two intelligent literary pieces that shared similar thoughts about the faults of the United States government and how to better it. Both men saw beyond themselves, differentiating what was truly important from the everyday monotonous tasks of human life. It takes a unique soul to recognize injustice, and an even braver soul to speak out against it. Thankfully, unique and brave men like Thoreau and Douglass paved the way for a better American way of living.

McMichael, G. & Leonard, J. S. (2011). Concise anthology of american literature. (Eds.).

New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Short Stories and Social Commentary

Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville wrote stories that had deeper meanings in relation to the societies that they were a part of. Specifically, "Young Goodman Brown" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener" have interesting social commentaries. Both of those stories also share relations to other authors, such as Franklin, Irving, and Edwards.

Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown" is a story of a man who's curiosity takes him to strange depths, inadvertently stripping him of his religious faith. He intends to merely take a small part in a clandestine meeting in the woods with unsavory characters. On the way, he sees more than just unsavory characters taking part in the meeting; the deacon of the church and even his wife are at the meeting over which presumably a demon resides. Upon the cessation of the meeting, Brown is not sure if the meeting was real or if it was only a dream. Either way, he is a deeply shaken and cynical man for the remainder of his life, never getting over his meeting the woods with the devil. Part of the social commentary made in this story would be a loss of innocence. Brown was sure of the morality of the people he cared for and respected, most importantly his wife, but he did not know what to think when confronted with their 'other' side, "There is no good on Earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given," (McMichael & Leonard, 2011). As a devout Puritan, the concept of black, white, and grey was beyond Brown; for him, there was only black and white. After his enlightenment in the woods about the duality of human nature, Brown saw only black.

Hawthorne's story has similar tones to the The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. Both stories have a dark, ominous tone that creates a sense with the reader that there is no happy ending to be had, only a series of interesting (if unfortunate) events.

In Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener", the narrator tells the story of 'the oddest man he's ever met'. The narrator hires Bartleby out of necessity, but is soon very sorry that he ever did so. Bartleby is by nature a depressed individual, but his work ethic is not in question until the day he utters the line "I would prefer not to". That becomes his mantra whenever any task is asked of him, until the day comes that he ceases to do anything at all. Even after his laziness hits its peak, he does not leave. Eventually, the narrator chooses to move his business rather than throw Bartleby out. Even with new tenants in the building, Bartleby does not leave.

He is jailed for his incessant loitering, later dying in jail because he 'preferred not to' eat the food that is offered. In reflection, Bartleby's choices may have not been the right ones because they led to his death, but from an objective point of view, Bartleby was able to do whatever he wanted. He could shun his boss, friends (not that he had any), and his jailers in favor of maintaining his free will. Jonathan Edwards wrote a story with a similar note about free will, "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will", (Emery, 1976, p. 170). However, Melville's story could also be highlighting the fact that slovenly behavior could lead to a dire end.

Emery, A., M. (1976). The alternatives of melville's bartleby. Nineteenth-Century Fiction. Retrieved on October 21, 2010, from the JSTOR Database.

McMichael, G. & Leonard, J. S. (2011). Concise anthology of american literature. (Eds.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Early American Gothic-Themed Stories

Washington Irving wrote two widely known and fantastical stories: "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Both stories are full of symbolism, metaphor, and societal conflicts. The story of "Rip Van Winkle" chronicles a lazy but kind man named Rip Van Winkle who basically hibernates through the prime of his life, in the post Revolutionary War-era. Upon awakening, he finds that the world has gone and changed on him, and the reader gets to experience the change behind the eyes of an objective man who had no part in the war.

 His new life is a symbol for the confusion and anxiety the town must have felt during and after the war. Poor Rip does not know what to do with himself until his daughter takes him in and he realizes his is free from the nagging of his dead wife, his own wife being a metaphor for how England controlled the colonies and then lost that control. At the time in the story, society was going through some intense changes and everyone had to choose a side before and during the war. While the town Rip hailed from may have been quiet before, after the war the townsfolk were proud of their independence and eager to show it, especially to an unknowing loyalist like Rip, "[I am] a loyal subject of the king!"

The "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" tells the tale of Ichabod Crane and his run-in with the Headless Horseman, the supposed specter haunting the town of Sleepy Hollow. Icabod Crane's character can be interpreted as a metaphor for the religious, ignorant, and superstitious populace of the time period in which the story itself was written. His superstitions were the end of him and any chance he may have hoped to have for a successful marriage with the town bachelorette, Katrina Van Tassel. Had he been more discerning, he may have discovered that the Headless Horsemen was merely his competitor for Katrina's hand in marriage, Brom Bones. It is not expressly stated in the story that Brom is responsible for the disappearance of Ichabod, but Brom was "to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related,". The Headless Horsemen, or Brom, could have symbolized how the weak and superstitious were stamped out for strength and revolution. Societal conflicts in the story include the town and it's dark, superstitious nature. The Headless Horsemen and the belief that he was real was the pinnacle of the town's utter lack of scientific understanding.

Edgar Allen Poe and many of his writings also feature symbolism, metaphors, and societal conflicts. His epic poem, "The Raven" is a depressing tale featuring a raven that will not leave the narrator alone. The raven may symbolize death and eternity since throughout the poem it continually quotes, "Nevermore,". Another well-known poem by Poe is entitled "Annabel Lee". The poem opens with the lines, "It was many and many a year ago/ In a kingdom by the Sea/". Poe uses the second line over and over in the poem, hammering home the symbol of love and loss felt by the narrator in the poem. While the couple was happy in their home by the sea, they made of it a kingdom. Yet, once she died, the kingdom became a dark place full of her memory. The entire poem is a metaphor for fairy tales, obvious from the first line in the poem. It is a fairytale that strays from the traditional happy ending, something that Poe himself never obtained, a recurrent societal conflict in much of his literary work.

Early American Writers

Thomas Paine and Red Jacket were two of early America's more notable writers and orators. Both men knew how to influence an audience with their skills of articulation, either through the written word, or during a speech or sermon. For example, Paine connects with the reader by laying out the facts, and including his own educated opinion into the matter, "Spain has ceded Louisiana to France, and France has excluded the Americans from N. Orleans and the navigation of the Mississippi [...] Suppose then the Government begin[s] by making a proposal to France to repurchase the cessation," (Hitchens, 1987, p. 71). Here, Paine was roughly outlining the idea for what would later become the Louisiana Purchase in a letter he wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1802.

Red Jacket, a prominent figure in the world of Native Americans, often gave speeches to empower his fellow man. He had the foresight to know that his people were being taken advantage of, and his speeches said as much: "Brother, our feats were once large and yours were small. You have now become a great people, and we scarcely have a place left to spread our blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to force your religion upon us," (Costa Nunes, 1980, p. 6). The simple words Red Jacket used were strung together in such a way to create a sense of understanding and trust between him and his audiences. He was direct and concise, getting to the truth of the matter without preamble.

Concerning sermons and speeches, there is a difference. A sermon is a body of words that is meant to sway the reader or audience towards one side of a subject, whether it be of a religious nature or not. Whereas a speech can be a persuasive or objective address, such as a pro-life overview or a current state of affairs. This week's readings fall into the category of sermons because most of them were trying to convince the reader of something, like Paine spurring on a revolution and Red Jacket urging his people to use greater wisdom concerning the 'white' man.

References:

Costa Nunes, J. (1980). Red jacket: the man and his portraits. American Art Journal, 12 (3). Retrieved from JSTOR online database.

Hitchens, C. (1987). The actuarial radical: common sense about thomas paine. Grand Street, 7 (1). Retrieved from JSTOR online database.

Nature

Upon hearing the word nature, I am always reminded of Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold Can Stay. The imagery he uses symbolizes to me the beauty of nature and how it is fleeting:

Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Nature was once revered by many cultures, and yet today, it is thought of last among the dominant countries like the United States and China who keep on contributing dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Native Americans held great respect for nature, a respect akin to religious beliefs. In The Iroquois League, there were many referrals to nature to describe their culture and way of governing. The leader of Iroquois League planted a tree, naming it the Tree of the Great Peace, and that was to be the meeting place when the leaders were ‘in session’.

“Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south and one to the west. The name of these roots is The Great White Roots and their nature is Peace and Strength.”

This passage from The Iroquois League implies that the tree, or more accurately the peace accord with the other tribes, is widespread and as everlasting as a tree.

Jonathan Edwards, a theologian, Puritan, and preacher also admired nature and beauty. Although, sometimes his allusions to fire and other facets of nature were not always used in a way that was synonymous with the peace associated with the word nature:

“[Sinners] are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell,” (Sinners, 2009).

Nature and all of its connotations can hold different meaning and value depending on the person’s perception of peace, strength, and clarity.

References:

Sinners. (2009). Sinners in the hands of an angry god by jonathan edwards. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/spurgeon/web/edwards.sinners.html