A Narrative on the life of Fredrick Douglass: Quotes explained, Intended Audience and Author's Purpose

1. “Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” pg 18.   Douglass’s thoughts.	When he refers to “her” as his mom, the reader is able to realize the unfamiliarity that Douglass feels toward his mother. Since birth, a slave is made, and in this quote it is explained. Douglass never spent any of his childhood with his mother because the first step to undergo slavery was the removal of any family. Slaveholders believed that by separating families, the system of slavery would thrive without rebellion. If slaves knew their families, they could join in unison to rebel against their masters. However, because they kept them away, it was impossible for families to feel compassion or love for one another’s struggles; like the non-existent feelings you have for someone you do not know. In addition, Douglass added specifically the words tender and soothing presence, to try to create and image of what would have been if she had been in his life, the tender love his mom should have shared with him. The quote signifies the injustices slaves underwent and the ignorant ways  people viewed the ideas of right and wrong.
2. “The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears. “ pg.26. Douglass	In Chapter II Douglass emphasizes the use of songs as escapes for slaves. They sing their sorrows away because it is the only way they can release what they are feeling. The Northerns mistake their songs as a sign of happiness, but in their songs they describe the opposite of what they actually feel. It is more deeper in meaning to the slaves because they are expressing everything wrong in their life, but trying dearly to make the best of it; they can’t seem to find a way to do so, so they keep singing, hoping something will change. The slaves themselves do not realize that what they are doing is a plea for help; Douglass himself did not understand. It is only until Douglass leaves slavery that he realizes those songs were not sung in happiness, rather forced to act happy because that was the only way to relieve those sorrows in their hearts. This quote displays the meaning of culture, if one groups shares all the same experiences, traits, ways of life, etc, then there will always be something to bound them together and sometimes you do not know why you do certain things, rather know it is a custom to do it because you know the true meaning of it but are unable to explain why.
3. “ ‘It is better that a dozen slaves suffer under the lash, than that the overseer should be convicted, in the presence of the slaves, of having been at fault. ‘ No matter how innocent a slave might be --- it availed him nothing...” pg 32. Douglass.	The only way to keep slaves in control was to remove the idea of ever being right. Even if a slave had done nothing wrong, the slaveholder’s job was to never feel remorse and punish them anyways. That was the only way slavery made sense. If a slave was ever given any slight bit of hope that they were allowed to be treated with humanity, it would ruin the balance of the social structure. This idea is important because the reason why overseers were so cruel was based on this idea of always having to be right; in order to maintain superiority. If an overseer let himself be wrong, then they would question their ability to treat slaves so inhumanly, which would question the overall system of slavery.
4  4. “ It was a common saying, even among little white boys, that it was worth a half-cent to kill a ‘nigger’, and a half-cent to bury one.” pg.35. Douglass thoughts.	This quote illustrates the way slaves were viewed; without any compassion or regard. The whites viewed ‘negroes’ as rather an item that wasted space in their lives. If it were up to them they would dispose of them. This is important to understand because it shows the similarity of evil and  ignorance. Slaves were humans just like the rest of the population and even though the people were too blinded to understand this, it does not make it justifiable because slavery was morally wrong, and in this respect  it borderlines the idea of evil. The concept of removing value in a life is what this quote refers to.  They knew what slaves were, they were people, but chose to act as though they were objects, this is significant because it is an example of the evil that is within ignorance and influence..
5. “The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.” pg.40. Douglass’ thoughts.	Slavery changed the way people were. It manipulated them to turn into completely distinct personas. Douglass used descriptive words to illustrate the corruption of slavery. In this quote Douglass did not specifically mean to single out his mistress rather the entire idea of slavery’s way to manipulate even the most innocent and kind hearted people. It was through the power slaveholders held that corrupted their very idea of morality. There is no way to have unrestrained power and be moral, because power is the biggest evil. This quote is significant  because it explains why there was so much cruelty towards the slaves. The power  given to the whites or any person that owned a slave was unconditional, which meant  there were no restraints in what could and could not be done towards them and because of it, they referred to slaves as their objects in order to justify the maltreatment that was brought up them daily.
6. “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. I have often wished myself a beast. I preferred the condition of the meanest reptile to my own. Any thing, no matter what, to get rid of my thinking! It was this everlasting thinking of my conditions that tormented me. There was no getting rid of it.” pg.45. Douglass’ thoughts.	Knowledge was the prime reason slaves wanted freedom, to become enriched with it, however, also had its negative effects. The reason why slaves were such good workers and never questioned their authority was because they were kept ignorant. They did not know what injustices were actually occurring because they knew no other information outside of this wall (slavery). Douglass was outraged when he finally gained the knowledge to understand he deserved better than a life sentence in slavery. He struggled to watch slaves act in complete submission because they did not understand that what was happening to them was inhumane and needed to stop. It is similar to the idea of thinking something to be so right and then you realize that your entire life has been a lie, it is better sometimes for people to live unknowingly stupid because at least they are accustomed and used to it. Knowing too much can sometimes cause harm in the fact that you can no longer succumb to the accustomed way you were used to and now have to face the reality that something must change which causes a never ending self struggle on what to do.
7. “Freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever...I saw nothing without seeing it, I heard nothing without hearing it, and felt nothing without feeling it. It looked from every star, it smiled in every calm, breathed in every wind, and moved in every storm.” pg. 89. Douglass.	The  moment a slave was given a slight bit of generosity, they took advantage of it. Just like when  Douglass was given a bit of freedom by being allowed to work on his own and have a bit of money, but still have to report back to his master. For those instances in which he got to work alone, he was able to feel free but that freedom slowly came to an end when he realized all the money he made was to go back to his master. Douglass from that instance on realized if he deserved a slight bit of freedom, he deserved complete freedom. This idea is significant because  it illustrates desire, freedom made Douglass feel good and because of it, craved it even more when he felt he was in reach of it. Just like when you crave food and your parents will not buy it, so you fight harder to try to have it.
8. “Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.” pg. 56. Douglass’ thoughts.	It was said that the slaveholders that were most cruel were the ones that were deeply religious. The reason for that was because through religion they were able to use the bible to validate  and  justify their actions of inhumanity. This was significant because it created an irony. It was believed by slaves, that by having a master that is religious, would benefit their treatment, when in reality the masters that were religious were the harshest because with religion they considered their brutality “god’s will.”
9. ”Mr.Covey enjoyed the most unbounded reputation for being a first-rate overseer and negro-breaker. It was of considerable importance to him. That reputation was at stake; and had he sent me --- a boy about sixteen years old-- to z public whipping post , his reputation would have been lost; so, to save his reputation, he suffered me to go unpunished. pg.70. Douglass’ thoughts.	For a slaveholder, the thing of utmost importance was their reputation. Mr.Covey having been known for his abilities as a “negro-breaker”, he was scared to think he could not control a sixteen year old boy. His reputation was the only thing that kept Mr.Covey in a high regard, so by not being able to uphold his name would result in the expulsion of his services which would degrade him in the social structure. So Mr.Covey believed the only way to maintain his position in the social structure was to comply to Douglass’ ways. This was important because it explains how significant it was to have power, a man was willing to give up everything in order to maintain this position; even Covey, being as ruthless as he was, did not choose to punish Douglass because he knew if he did, people would find out he had a weakness and his power would slowly decline.
10. “It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and , as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.” pg.87 Douglass	The only way to make a perfect slave was to keep him ignorant. By lacking the inability to comprehend what was right and wrong, gave slaves the impression they were designed to be slaves. Slavery was meant to be the only form of education given to “negroes,” because if their entire life revolved around it, it was difficult to be against it. Slaveholders knew to treat their slaves as objects, because if treated like humans, it would grant an entrance into the idea that all men are created equal. This is important to understand because it depicts the way slavery was made. It was not made without a purpose or non acknowledgement of what was wrong with this system. People knew what they were doing when they chose to accept this system of human labor, but chose to act as though it was acceptable. It is the fact people knew slaves were allowed to be treated as equals, but chose to do not allow them to understand for themselves this concept of equality that made them vile.They stripped them of their right to think for themselves, to speak for themselves and to do for themselves and through this the evil within humanity was illustrated.

Intended Audience:      The intended audience is the youth. The diction and sentence structure is reflective of the era the book was written in, in the mid 1800’s. People who are looking for a first-hand perspective of a slaves and hoped to use a reliable source  would read this; especially if they want a more personal perspective of slavery or a source to write  an essay. Also people looking to further their education in U.S history could use this book as a source of enrichment. This is a serious book that promotes serious themes, so people of immature characteristics should not read this book. The reason mature audience is needed is because there are numerous scenes in the book which can be considered unrated and in order to be able to read the book, you must respect the reason why it is significant to the author’s purpose.

Author’s Purpose: Frederick Douglass wrote this narrative, not to inform people of his life story, rather to paint a picture of the daily lives of slaves. He wanted to get through the idea of the horrid ways slaves were treated. He hoped that by writing this story and having people read the cruelty of humanity, it would inspire all to ensure this never happens again. The view of slavery in the eyes of slaves themselves were meant to ignite as sense of hatred for slavery.Through this book, the reader is able to put themselves in the shoes of the slaves and by definition most people do not wish to be part of that world. People need to realize that slavery was a part of history that cannot be removed but can be altered to be a life lesson.  This book was written because Douglass wanted the world to know slavery was an act of evil and must never be repeated in history again.

A Different Mirror: A Story of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki : Author's Style, Rhetorical Strategies, Mood/Tone, Summary, Intended Audience and Author's Purpose

Describe the author’s style: The author wrote this piece of literature in a formal format because he wanted to express his respect for every culture and wanted to ensure an unbiased approach. This book was written more as an informative piece of literature by including historical accounts. However, although the book is meant to be serious, Takaki did use figurative language; he used this to ensure a reader’s interest. Irony especially was a common aspect in Takaki’s writing because through use of irony, information was more questionable and thought provoking, which makes a reader more engaged in the subject matter. In addition, Takaki used imagery, he did this by adding peculiar details that were unnecessary to know or understand, but rather painted a picture because he wanted people not only to be engaged in his writing, rather feel what it was he meant and hoped to create a connection between the reader and the text.

Give an example that demonstrates this style, and explain how it does so: “Their liberators also included Japanese-American soldiers. With their families in internment camps in the United States, they had fought their way through Italy and France. . .” page 378 This quote exemplifies the use of irony. It is ironic because although the United States aided in the liberation of the Jews and created safe havens for them; United States was unable to treat Japanese-Americans with that same kindness, even though they served in the war for this country. It makes the United States seem hypocritical because how is it possible to be a hero and a villain at the same time. This is where figurative language brings about discussions and questioning, which illustrates Takaki’s stylist use of diction.

Rhetorical Strategies:

Ethos: This novel is most definitely more based on the idea of factual information, considering most of the text is in-text citations that are resources from well known sources. For this reason being, the book is bmore based on informative purposes and tends to be of a more serious topic of discussion. Takaki wanted to establish a ground with his readers and for that reason he used ethos to ensure his purpose got through to the reader. His purpose was for readers to opinionate their own judgement on cultures and for that reason he tried to ensure an unbiased text.

Red Herring: Takaki using this rhetorical strategy to give readers something to think about. He leaves them with an issue without actually addressing it, because yet again he wants to ensure that people make their own judgement on what becomes of that situation or why it takes place. It is also a strategy for getting people to think and question ideas or concepts that have never been given reason to be thought of.  He does this most specifically with social issues, especially concerning prejudices.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc: To get a specific point across, Takaki uses  this strategy. He specific uses a cause and effect to plan out his information. An example would be where he uses Japanese Americans, although they were military men and served for their country, they were still treated with discrimination. Therefore Takaki used because they were still minorities, they were still treated with discrimination, and explained how United States was hypocritical considering they had helped the Jew in their liberation, so because they were hypocritical they still discriminated against the Japanese. He makes one point and then addresses that the first point caused the second point.

Describe the mood/tone of the work: The tone of this work seems almost shameful and discouraging. Takaki tries to help us understand the several mistakes all cultures made that encompassed racism and how our country contributed to that prejudice. The work  is told in an informative manner, but because it describes in great details the atrocities of some of our own country’s inability to be compassionate towards certain races throughout history, including our own races, readers gain an emotional connection to this book. Therefore, it creates a shameful guilt in our subconscious, because many people characterize themselves as being proud to be an American and by reading the injustice America brought to its own people, it is discouraging to think a country people are so fond of have done such terrible things to their own culture. It makes people question their reason to be proud of their country when their country could be the very reason they were enslaved or treated poorly throughout history.

Plot/Book Summary (with in-text citations). Takaki guides us through a series of histories behind different races in America who were discriminated against, oppressed, forced out, etc. He goes through the history of Native Americans,  African Americans, Irish Americans, Latinos, Jews, Chinese,  and Japanese. He enforces his ideas with numerous accounts of people according to the situation and ethnicity. To continue on all of this, he goes on to point out the fact that race is not completely an accurate idea; it was a socially constructed concept. He says in the beginning of the book ,   “[r]ace…has been a social construction that has historically set apart racial minorities from European immigrant groups” (10).  This statement brings to light all that prejudice felt towards minorities in this country. The book also goes into detail the positive effects oppression brought; for example the unification of several minority groups to help fight for civil rights. Takaki tends to keep his own personal emotions out of the book with means he encompasses a wide range of information about each culture and their stories, giving a non-biased approach in all his information.

Intended Audience: Takaki never specifically meant to target one type of audience, but because this book talks about the history of the United States and how cultures are important in today’s society, something which today's adolescents know nothing of. I believe his primary reason in giving this information to young adults was to help them understand different cultures in the hopes of creating a more unified and peaceful future. Adolescents are the future and by informing them of the mistakes made by past ancestors and specifically giving a cause and an effect helps them understand the significance of what it means to obtain the power to make a change in history.

Author’s Purpose:       Takaki intended the book to reveal a sense of respect toward all cultures. He wanted to share that all cultures experienced similar oppression and in this way hoped to change the mentality of people’s ignorance. By using historical information to prove his claims, it was ensured that everything said was factual. He wanted people to understand that we all are equal and race is nothing but a everchanging identifier. There is no such thing as superior or inferior, because we were all born the same and share the same world. By listing similarities faced by different types of ethnicities, it is proven that we all share a connection, whether it be in similar oppression, success, warfare or mistakes; each culture is able to define a relationship with any other culture based on infinite similarities or shared customs. Takaki wanted people to share his knowledge and inform this history so that people may make an opinion for themselves, rather than living in ignorance.

The Great Gatsby: Characters, Summary, Major Symbols

Character’s name:	Role (what role does this person have in the story?)	Significance (why is this character significant to the story)?	Character traits (what sort of person is this?)
1. Jay Gatsby	Protagonist- he plays the role of a gentleman and is a symbol of optimism. He illustrates the power of love, specifically the ability for love to blind reason. He is fully aware of the consequences that deal with stealing the wife of another, but he is willing to take the risk for Daisy in hopes of reliving the past love they once shared.	The central plot of the story revolves around the life of Jay Gatsby. He introduces the readers to a feeling of optimism in the complicated world that is love. He gives life to the theme “the power of love,” by expressing his love for Daisy in inexplicable and highly irrational ways, like taking the blame for her having killed Myrtle.	He was a gentleman that was ambitious and desired to be loved by Daisy Buchanan. He was unselfish, well respected and proved to succeed in the worst case scenario.
2. Nick Carraway	Narrator- He tells the story of Gatsby in his own words and thoughts and describes the immense devotion Gatsby shared towards Daisy and his lack of ability to see his dream come true; his dream of having Daisy as his own.	Is the outside perspective into Gatsby’s life and is able to give an unbiased opinion on what Gatsby’s life was like and what kind of person he was. Was the primary reason Daisy and Gatsby were able to rekindle their love.	He is an intelligent writer that was intrigued with Gatsby’s passion for love and found sympathy in his situation.
3. Tom Buchanan	Antagonist-dislikes Gatsby from the start and become highly suspicious of Gatsby’s and Daisy’s relationship. He has a mistress named Myrtle of which he is open about, Daisy knows.	Tells George Wilson that the owner of the car that killed Myrtle was Gatsby’s, so he was the primary reason for Gatsby’s death. He was the obstacle that kept apart Gatsby and Daisy, considering she had decided that her devotion was held upon Tom Buchanan.	A misogynist that believes he has the given right to cheat in his relationship and feels the desire to assert himself as a man in any way possible.
4.  Daisy Buchanan	She is the woman Gatsby loves. Her indecisiveness pains the heart of Gatsby, as her is unwilling to give up the idea of Daisy as his, this become apparent when Gatsby is even willing to take the blame for Daisy of killing someone and forgiving her for having married Tom.	Gatsby’s biggest dream in life is to have Daisy as his own. She preys upon Gatsby’s emotions by remembering the love they shared and willing to experience it all over, but then changes her mind as she proclaims her allegiance to Tom Buchanan at the end of the novel and does not go to Gatsby’s funeral or sends her condolences.	A confused woman who is unable to decide between Tom and Gatsby. She has a very persuasive nature about her personality in which she uses to manipulate any man or person.
5.  Jordan Baker	The woman that Nick loves, she is highly devoted to Daisy as a friend and is very sympathetic to Gatsby’s and Daisy’s love affair. She is a professional golfer and is highly respected in her sport.	Falls in love with Nick and they create a relationship together. One of the reasons why Daisy and Gatsby are able to reconnect and at the end of the novel, she becomes engaged to another man and leaves Nick heartbroken.	A friend of Daisy who is sympathetic to the love between Daisy and Gatsby because she is well aware of Tom’s infidelities. She is a just and caring person.
6.      Myrtle Wilson	The mistress of Tom Buchanan is highly raunchy and treats her husband with disregard. She gets killed by Daisy Buchanan. Tom Buchanan breaks her nose after having taunted him with Daisy.	Myrtle ran out into the middle of the street in hopes of it being Tom Buchanan and Daisy, but she was mistaken and it lead to an accident which resulted in her death and ultimately in the death of Gatsby.	A raunchy and unscrupulous woman who dared to share an affair with Tom and had the audacity to preside some sense of right in Tom’s life.
7.  George Wilson	The killer of Jay Gatsby, his hatred for Gatsby stems for the misconception of thinking Gatsby was in a love affair with his wife. He is a hardworking man and is ill informed by Tom.	Was the man to take Gatsby’s life away and symbolized the ignorance of society. He was tricked by Tom into believing that Gatsby was the man Myrtle cheated with, when in reality it was Tom himself.	A hardworking man who was in continuous stress over the whereabouts of his wife. He became mad with hatred when he found out Myrtle had an affair.

Major symbols, motifs, images:

Social hierarchy: The importance of ranking was displayed throughout the entire novel. The West Egg was a place where people of all social ranking were able to live in, but the East Egg district consisted only of wealthy and highly respected citizens of the state. Not only did social ranking have a specific importance in the work of literature, but so did races. Tom Buchanan illustrated the inferiority of any other race beside whites. He spoke of a book titled The Rise of Coloured Empires and how “inferior” races had gained the confidence to try to equalize themselves into the white man society and how the white must suppress that confidence and set them straight in terms of ranking. Another example is when Tom Buchanan attacks Gatsby for the way he earned his money. He states that Gatsby is nothing but a bootlegger and even though that were true, he still had the same amount of money as Tom did; however because Gatsby has gained it through work, as opposed to innately, he was considered as a fake.

Weather: Weather played a key role in exemplifying the emotions of the characters. Especially when Daisy and Gatsby finally reconnected after five years. The introduction of the scene was a heavy rainfall which illustrated a sense of stress and uncertainness, but as Daisy and Gatsby rekindled their love, the sun came in and brightened not only the setting but the characters themselves. As the sun shone, the glowing feature of both Daisy and Gatsby shone as well. Another example was the scorching hot day in which the climax occurred. The heat foreshadowed an intense moment to come, and that intense moment was the realization that Daisy chose Tom over Gatsby.

The Green Light: The green light resembled the desires of Gatsby. The green light was like a star to Gatsby, the ability to see what he wanted, but the inability to grasp it. It played a key role in explaining the dreams of people and the limitless possibilities one is able to achieve. Daisy was Gatsby’s star and when he had her, he finally realized she was at his reach and settled back into the idea that his desires are all able to be achieved. This green light depicts the American dream, the inexplicable want and desire to freedom, but in Gatsby’s case, for love. After having been able to have Daisy, this green light becomes the future Gatsby so desperately craved, within reach, but with hardwork and devotion it could be done.  

Plot Summary: Nick Carraway moves to New York in hopes of learning the bond business and making money, he rents a home in West Egg district, which is located in Long Island. It becomes easily apparent that Carraway does not fit into this society, considering his home is between two mansions and his home could be illustrated as a humble shack. Upon arrival, Carraway realizes that his neighbor, of which he only knows by name, Jay Gatsby is a real character and has caught his attention. One day Carraway decides to go to the East Egg district to visit his second cousin twice removed, Daisy Buchanan. During his visitation he learns of the relationship between his cousin and her husband, Tom Buchanan. He is also introduced to Jordan Baker, a highly notable and respected golf player, of which he falls in love with. It is apparent that Tom Buchanan is having an affair with another women; he was called by her in the middle of dinner. Daisy shares with Nick her problems. The next day, Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress, Myrtle, a raunchy woman. Tom ends ups persuading Nick to spend time with him in Myrtle’s house, where Nick gets drunk and Myrtle taunts Tom with Daisy and he evidently becomes angered and breaks Myrtle’s nose because of it. Nick arrives home to receive as note formally inviting him to Gatsby’s home on that Saturday. At Gatsby’s party, Nick wastes all his night looking for Gatsby upon which he finally stubble onto. However, he is more interested in Jordan than Nick, which makes Nick high suspiciously and curious of Gatsby’s origin. Jordan finally tells Nick that Gatsby was here in hopes of regaining connection with Daisy so she asks Nick to set up a tea date, by favor of Gatsby. For the first time since Nick has met Gatsby, Nick realized that Gatsby’s weakness is Daisy. His insurmountable love for her become apparent with his clumsy attitude amongst her presence. It becomes clear that Daisy and Gatsby love each other and they begin seeing each other in secrecy. Tm Buchanan become aware of their love for each other, the day of a luncheon at the Buchanan’s home, in which Daisy confesses her love to Gatsby in front of Tom. Tom becoming enraged with the scene decides to go to the town with Nick, Daisy, Gatsby and Jordan. Upon arrival at the town and in a hotel, there comes a disagreement amongst Gatsby and Tom for Daisy’s love. Daisy reluctantly decides that her loyalty is to Tom. Tom feeling powerful as ever decides to allow Gatsby to drive Daisy home to prove his point that Daisy is his. Daisy drives back home with Gatsby and she is dealing with a great amount of stress from her decision and she ends up killing Myrtle, Tom’s mistress. Tom blames Gatsby for having killed Myrtle which creates a suppressed hatred from George Wilson, husband of Myrtle, for Gatsby. A few days after the Myrtle incident, Gatsby dies at the hands of George. His death is unjustified, seeing as he did not kill Myrtle, rather simply took the blame for the situation o hopes of protecting her. What Nick finds absolutely cruel in the end of the novel is that people who considered themselves friends of Gatsby never showed up to his funeral. He realized for the first time ever, with the help of Gatz’ words on Gatsby that he was good man who had hard ambitions, but a great desire and will power to achieve anything he set his mind to. In the end, Nick came to the conclusion that Gatsby was a man of value and although his lfe was abruptly taken away, he, Nick Carraway, will remember the Great Gatsby with admiration and reverence.