Petrovi Jelena Petrovi Aleksandra Izgarjan Phd XIX Century American Literature 18 A ril !

"11 #rederick $ouglass% &hat to the 'lave Is the #ourth o( July)% *arrative +echni,ues +he American tradition o( a s oken -ord and the (reedom o( u.licly e/ ressing one0s thoughts and o inions date .ack to the emanci ation o( the colonies (rom the colonial em ire o( 1ngland2 +here(ore3 it is not sur rising that cele.rating the Constitution -hich rovided and secured such rights -as held in the same manner2 In nineteenth century America3 Inde endence $ay orations achieved a status o( the most im ortant art o( the cele.ration2 All across America3 cities and to-ns -ould seek an orator -ho -ould er(orm 4a skill(ully cra(ted rea((irmation o( the rinci les (or -hich Americans had risked their lives56$u((y and 7esel3 892 :n the contrary3 a.olition orators3 -ho had a little tradition o( their o-n3 -ould give s eeches to criticize the American society and slavery and to u.licly demand the solution to their issues2 #rederick $ouglass3 no-adays considered the most signi(icant orator o( the a.olitionist cause3 had several other s eeches on the same occasion3 some .e(ore and some a(ter the most (amous o( his s eeches3 4&hat to the 'alve is the #ourth o( July)52 +he s eech itsel( is not only signi(icant among the a.olitionists3 .ut rather re resents a generally im ortant oratorical achievement -hich many rhetorical scholars came to res ect2 $uaglass is -ell a-are o( the o-er o( the rint3 understanding it as even more o-er(ul means than the s eech itsel(2 'ince his s eech is due to .e released in the -ritten (orm3 his 4act o( oratorical de(iance5 on this glorious occasion is certainly going to .e heard2 6$u((y and 7esel3 89 *evertheless3 he says% 4:; had I the a.ility and could I reach the nation0s ear25 +his is -hy his er(ormance and his -ord carry such an im ortance and -hy he had invested such an e((ort in the re aration -hich lasted (or as much as several months2 &hat makes this s eech di((erent (rom $ouglass0s revious ones is his change o( vieconcerning the ,uestion o( the Constitution2 +hat is3 unlike <arrisonians3 he started seeing the Constitution as an anti=slavery document and he thought that in su -ay to (ree themselves2 orting it3 they could (ind a

Petrovi Also3 this s eech is marked .y the originality o( the author .ecause even though many had talked a.out these issues .e(ore3 $ouglass0s a roach sho-s an ingenious (resh ers ective2

I( -e com are it to the similar s eeches o( <arrison -ho had .een $ouglass0s mentor until just a year ago3 as reviously mentioned3 -e can see an o.vious contrariety in their stand oints and3 conse,uently3 their a roach2 <arrison0s s eeches tend to sho- more angst and are characterized .y his revolutionary s irit2 >o-ever3 even though the cause (or the anger could .e entirely justi(ied3 he 4violates the e/ ectation that s eakers raise the Constitution and the government it esta.lished52 6$u((y3 7esel3 ?92 :n the other hand3 $ouglass success(ully overcomes the constraint o( the occasion -hich lies in the (act that the date o( the (ourth o( July is a date o( the u ermost national im ortance and it is a day -hen the American eo le raise their nation and their Constitution that .rought them li.erties and rights their (ounding (athers (ought (or2 >e does so .y making this constraint more o( an advantage3 than a disadvantage2 >e constructs his s eech in a -ay that ena.les him to rein(orce the issue o( the a.olitionist movement o( the time2 #urther on3 it -ill .e sho-n in more detail in -hich -ay $ouglass used .oth his ne- stand oint on the Constitution and the occasion o( a national cele.ration day to rove his oint2 It gives him the o argumentative strategies in (ighting (or his a.olitionist cause2 $ouglass -as con(ronted -ith the choice to either carry on -ith the tradition o( the a.olitionists and sim ly ut the stress on the .lame3 or to introduce a ne- strategy and to raise instead2 >e concentrated on the rinci les o( e,uality3 (reedom o( thought and li.erty that are the values dee ly set in human minds and rovided himsel( -ith the er(ect stand oint (or his (urther develo ing o( the to ic2 As -e have seen3 there -as a need to satis(y the e/ ectations o( the audience .ut he also needed to satis(y his .elie( in the hy ocrisy o( the occasion and he managed to juggle .oth o( these demands and challenges that -ere ut .e(ore him 6$u((y and 7esel3 ?@ AcClure3 8!B92 And it -as this ne- strategy that rovided him -ith the advantage o( intrigue and there(ore attention o( the audience and most im ortantly3 their sym athy and understanding2 At (irst sight3 4&hat to a slave is the #ourth o( July5 is a s eech3 or let0s call it a te/t (or these ur oses3 -hich could .e seen as consisting o( t-o .road sections 6$u((y and 7esel3 892 +hese sections are in contrast3 according to their a roach3 since the (irst one consists o( the ortunity to develo ne-

Petrovi raising -ords (or the #ounding (athers3 and the other o( the criticism a ointed to the resent generations2 >o-ever3 taking the structure into more serious consideration3 <erald #ulkerson

introduces s eech divisions (amiliar (rom classical rhetorical theory and a lies them to this te/t2 +hese are% e/ordium3 narration3 artition3 con(irmation and re(utation 6<erald #ulkerson3 in +erril3 !1C92 +he (irst section or the exordium includes the (irst three aragra hs o( the te/t2 +hey could .e said to re resent a ty ical introduction in -hich the narrator hum.ly oints out his dis.elie( in his skills and his ca a.ilities2 In this -ay3 he resents himsel( as a hum.le servant and distances himsel( (rom the tone o( arrogance that could .e attri.uted to him due to the cause and the style o( his s eech2 >e also tries to (latter the audience and3 in a -ay3 em hasize their su eriority and their status o( the rivileged grou (or -hom he has the greatest res ect2 +his is a custom -hich he had .een nurturing in his s eeches -ith no e/ce tions 6$u((y and 7esel3 892 I do not remem.er ever to have a eared as a s eaker .e(ore any assem.ly more shrinkingly3 nor -ith greater distrust o( my a.ility3 than I do this day D I evince no ela.orate re aration nor grace my s eech -ith a high sounding e/ordium2 &ith little e/ erience and less learning3 I have .een a.le to thro- my thoughts hastily and im er(ectly together2 6teachingamericanhistory2org9 1ven though in the given e/ert $ouglass talks a.out not .eing re ared as much as the occasion should demand3 -hat (ollo-s is a 4high=sounding5 language and 4care(ully contem lated3 i( not sometimes la.ored5 meta hors2 +he language throughout the te/t is (ormal and some-hat elevated2 >is style is sim le .ut (ull o( 4.ig53 meaning(ul -ords2 Also3 a sense o( judgment is resent even -hen he is seemingly not judging2 'ome o( the e/am les o( meta hor are a 4great stream5 -hich denotes the *ation3 and he goes (urther on -ith the meta hor -hich -ould re resent the central idea o( his s eech2 >e says that this great stream has t-o ossi.ilities E it can either 4rise in ,uiet and stately majesty and inundate the land3 re(reshing and (ertilizing the earth -ith their mysterious ro erties5 or 4rise in -rath and (ury5 and 4dry u 3 and leave nothing .ehind .ut a -ithered .ranch3 and the unsightly rock3 to ho-l in the a.ysss -ee ing -ind3 the sad tale o( de arted glory25 6$u((y and 7esel3 89

Petrovi In the same manner3 America has t-o ossi.le outcomes (or its (uture and that is -hat $ouglass indicates himsel(% 4As -ith rivers so -ith nations56 teachingamericanhistory2org92 :ne ossi.ility is that it continues to .e a great nation3 (ormed .y great men3 the one -hich -ill

continue to (ight against the crimes that threaten the li.erties set dee ly in its (ounding rocks3 and thus rene- itsel( over and over2 7ut the other ossi.ility is that it loses its sense o( righteousness and .ecome just a (ruitless land (raught -ith injustice3 rejudice and racism2 Another oint is that he introduces the theme o( his esca ement (rom slavery3 e/ resses his gratitude and thus gains certain amount o( sym athy and (avora.leness among the audience2 >o-ever3 this also serves as a reminder that3 in this s eech3 he is resent .oth as a narrator and a slave2 :n the other hand3 according to +erril3 this introduces 4a re(erence to s ace and time that .ecomes a central moti( in the te/t52 6+erril3 !!"9 #urther on3 as +erril notes3 (rom the mere .eginning3 -e are (irst introduced to the synchronic irony and then3 dou.le=natured irony .oth o( -hich -ill .e redominant in the most o( the te/t2 6+erril3 !!"9 #irstly3 the audience is e/ ected to con(ront Gtoday0 -hile simultaneously3 .ecause constantly reminded o( it3 ushed to consider the ast2 It is a small indication o(3 i( not a sort o( re aration3 (or -hat is a.out to come2 +his oration -ill challenge the listener to look in t-o di((erent -ays at the same time2 It -ill rovide them -ith the set o( contradictions o( their o-n time and the contradictions .et-een their time and the ast and the listener -ill .e encouraged to look at the things (rom di((erent ers ectives and di((erent times2 +he nature o( this dou.le irony is ro.a.ly .est understood in Linda >utcheon0s e/ lanation% 4ironic meaning is simultaneously dou.le 6or multi le9 D you don0t have to actually reject the literal meaning in order to get at -hat is usually called the Gironic0 or 4real5 meaning o( the utterance25 6Linda >utcheon@ in +erril3 !!"9 :ne o( the .est e/am les o( the reviously mentioned contradictions is the one ointed out .y +erill3 and the one -hich is related to $ouglass0s mention o( his ast as a slave2 :n the one hand3 .eing .orn as a slave3 his e/ erience doesn0t rovide him -ith any ,uali(ications to s eak E .eing a slave made him 4mute52 :n the other hand3 the same slavery has 4authorized5 him to s eak3 and -ith the e/ erience as an orator he has .een ,uali(ied to s eak2 6+erril3 !!"9

Petrovi Analyzing it through the #ulkerson0s division3 +erril recognizes many cases cases o(

irony in the second section E the narration2 #irst o( all3 the narration is not really his3 and second3 it0s not really a narration itsel(3 or at least not a ty ical one in its (orm2 Another oint is that $ouglass kee s reminding the audience that he doesn0t consider himsel( the art o( that narration2 In the art -hich could .e seen as partition3 he constantly makes it clear that he is telling some.ody else0s story2 >e does this3 (irst o( all3 .y using ronouns 4you53 4your53 4yourselves53 4your o-n5 6teachingamericanhistory2org9 etc2 in the course o( the narration2 Also3 he occasionally announces a ste .ack (rom the Gsome.ody else0s story03 as i( he3 not only -ants to say that he is not included in the rights o( the -hite eo le and there(ore (eels he is not art o( it3 .ut also3 -ants to sho- that he isn0t even -orth o( telling the story3 .eing a (ormer slave2 +his can .e seen in the (ollo-ing lines2 #riends and citizens3 I need not enter (urther into the causes -hich led to this anniversary2 Aany o( you understand them .etter than I do2 Hou could instruct me in regard to them2 +hat is a .ranch o( kno-ledge in -hich you (eel3 erha s3 a much dee er interest than your s eaker2 6teachingamericanhistory2org9 7ut this is the oint -here another layer o( irony un(olds2 $ouglass kee s con(irming the im ortance o( the #ourth o( July3 a .irthday o( the American nation2 >e actually magni(ies it until the oint -here it starts to sound e/aggerated and even (ake2 >is oint is in sho-ing that contem orary eo le actually don0t even realize that they are going against the rinci les stated in the constitution2 #urther on in the course o( the narration3 it -ill .e evident that $ouglass did all o( this strategically3 in order to introduce the element o( shame to the audience .ecause America is .eing I(alse to the astI and I(alse to the resent2I 6AcClure3 88192 +his is -here -e also see that dual realization o( irony reviously mentioned in >utcheon0s ,uote2 +hat -hat is said doesn0t necessarily .e de(ied in order (or the second3 Greal0 meaning to .e clear2 In other -ords3 -hat he says can .e understood .oth literary and ironically and in either -ay the s eech makes its oint2 In addition3 regardless o( these most a arent ty es o( e/clusion3 -e are a.le to3 literary3 (eel the distance .et-een himsel( and the audience2 It is sho-n in the tone more than anything else2 It could even .e said that he (eels more a((ected .y and closer to the #ounding (athers and

Petrovi the idealistic understanding o( the constitution than he does (or their legacy -hich can .e seen in the (reedom and rights that the contem orary 6-hite9 society enjoys2 >e gives us such an im ression .y honestly raising the eo le -ho (ought (or their (reedom% 4.rave men5 4great men53 as he descri.es them2 #urther on3 he ur osely de icts the circumstances -hich -ere resent in the days o( (orming the *ation and the rinci le o( li.erty that it0s .ased on2 4: treatment25 6teachingamericanhistory2org92 *o matter ho- honest he might .e in his -ords o( raise3 -e cannot .ut sus ect his true intentions -hich are com aring himsel( and the other a.olitionists and their su((erings to the su((erings o( the national heroes2 4+hey (elt themselves the victims o( grievous -rongs D &ith .rave men there is al-ays a remedy (or o ression D the idea -as .orn; D +he timid and the rudent o( that day3 -ere3 o( course3 shocked and alarmed .y it256 teachingamericanhistory2org92 &hile $ouglass cannot hel admiring the deeds o( the #ounding #athers3 he reminds his audience that as a erson -ho -as once nothing .ut a slave3 and no- a citizen e/ eriencing racism and all the di((iculties -hich come -ith that3 his vie- on the nature o( this occasion is (ar (rom theirs2 #inally3 $u((y and 7esel introduce another term -hich re(ers to the second art o( the ression makes a -ise man mad2 Hour (athers -ere -ise men3 and i( they did not go mad3 they .ecame restive under this

te/t3 reviously called narration2 +hey see anamnesis, 5the stylistic device em.odying the idea o( recollection53 as 4the means .y -hich $ouglass could envision the (uture ideal52 6$u((y and 7esel3 9 $ouglass uses anamnesis to re,uest (rom the listeners3 arado/ically3 to try and think a.out 4-hat is not -ritten in the Constitution526$u((y and 7esel3 9 >is ,uestion to them goes% 4I( the Constitution -ere intended to .e .y its (ramers and ado ters3 a slave=holding instrument3 -hy neither slavery3 slaveholding3 nor slave can any-here .e (ound in it)5 #rom this3 -e see $ouglass0s o inion on the constitution once again2 >is o inion consists o( a literal inter retation o( the Constitution3 and this is more than o.vious in -hat he says ne/t% 4*o- take the constitution according to its lain reading3 and I de(y the resentation o( a single ro=slavery clause in it25 6teachingamericanhistory2org92 +he longest section o( the s eech is confirmation2 It mainly consist o( the criticism o( the institution o( slavery2 >o-ever3 -hat is distinct a.out this art is the -ay he introduces it2 4>e

Petrovi (irst ositions his audience at a remove (rom himsel(3 (rom their o-n ast3 and (rom their -orld@ then he colla ses this distance25 6+erril3 !1B 9 4#ello-=citizens3 ardon me3 allo- me to ask3 -hy am I called u on to s eak here to= day) &hat have I3 or those I re resent 3 to do -ith your national inde endence)25 6teachingamericanhistory2org92 +his is -hat could .e called the most im ortant ,uestion in the s eech2 Again $ouglass com ares the meaning o( the #ourth o( July to the audience -ith the meaning that it has to the slaves2 4Aust I argue that a system thus marked -ith .lood3 and stained -ith ollution3 is -rong) *o; I -ill not25 +his sentence is an e/am le o( paralipsis2 6$u((y and 7esel3 C9

Parali sis is a rhetorical device in -hich the -riter invokes a su.ject .y denying that it should .e invoked2 >e -ants to leave an im ression that his arguing oints are o.vious in such amount that he shouldn0t even e/ lain them (urther2 >is claim3 in this case -as that a slave is a human .eing3 as much as a -hite erson and that slavery is -rong2 A(ter this long section o( the s eech comes a short criticism o( <arrisonians0 understanding o( the Constitution -hich could .e (it into the art called refutation2 +o sum it u 3 -e could introduce another narrative device mentioned .y AcClure and that is com arison2 $ouglass uses the strategy o( com arison so that he could (orm a kind o( contrast .et-een the rinci les o( the (ormation o( the *ation and the #ounding (athers and the institution o( slavery2 AcClure also introduces the division o( the te/t in the (orm o( thesis and antithesis2 +he (unction o( the thesis is to em hasize the rinci les rovided .y the $eclaration o( Inde endence and he 4e/ loits the signi(icance o( those rinci les .y lacing them in an antithetical stance -ith the institution o( slavery256AcClure3 88"9 AcClure0s e/ lanation o( the (urther develo ment o( the s eech is resented in the (ollo-ing sentences2 $ouglass em loys invidious com arison to esta.lish the antithesis o( the de(inition o( that event .y contrasting it -ith the meaning3 motive3 and character o( the institution o( slavery2 +he use o( this strategy ena.les $ouglass to introduce the rinci le o( shame to the occasion and to instill negative attitudes to-ard the institution o( slavery2 68F!9

Petrovi As -e can see3 the main oint o( this strategy is to sho- -hat -ere the virtues that once overruled the country and ho- they are threatened and almost com letely negated .y the resent day actions2 4+he use o( com arison as the generating rinci le o( the s eech ena.les $ouglass to overcome the situational constraints im osed .y the occasion and deliver an address that is a ro riate to the audience and occasion -ithout violating decorum25 6AcClure3 8F192 +he idea is that the audience should .e in(luenced as they are 4 redis osed to identi(y -ith the raise-orthiness o( the occasion and the motives and ,ualities o( the #ounding #athers5 6AcClure3 8F192 In technical terms3 com arison here (unctions enthymematically2 1nthymeme is Ia re(le/ion KsicL dra-n (rom contrariesI 6Muintilian3 in AcClure3 8FB92 &e notice that .ecause o( the (act that contrary ro ositions (ollo- one another in the 4tem oral un(olding o( the s eech5 -e come to a logical deduction that one o( those ro ositions has to .e (alse3 or negated 6AcClure3 8F892 +hus3 $ouglass negates slavery and the constitution as a ro=slavery document .ecause they are antithetical to the rights rovided .y the revolution and the rinci les -hose holders -ere their (ounding (athers2 +he strategy that $ouglass constructed (unctions to ut the audience in a lace -here the only ossi.le -ay (or them to kee their ersonal .elie(s and identi(ication -ith the rinci les that the Inde endence day re resent is i( they su ort the as ect o( it that $ouglass em loys3 and that is an anti=slavery reading o( the Constitution2

<ron.eck descri.es $ouglass0s strategy in yet another -ay2 >e notes that the 4rhetoric o( collective memory -orks .y .uilding sym.olic .ridges .et-een today and yesterdayI 6,td in AcClure3 88"92 >e adds that 4some resent need or concern is e/amined .y calling u a astI and thus Isha ing it into a use(ul memory that an audience can (ind relevant to the resentI2 And this is e/actly -hat $ouglass does2 In this -ay3 the ast Ican guide the resent3 .ut the resent also is recon(iguring the astI2 6<ron.eck3 ,td in AcCLure3 88"9 A art (rom some narrative devises reviously mentioned3 yet another im ortant characteristic o( this te/t are its distinct descri tions and s oradic use o( vivid imagery2 &hen he descri.es the internal slave trade3 he leaves a strong and vivid im ression and 4he creates 6it9 -ith image=laden language52 Also3 4$ouglass moves (rom one detail o( the ta.leau to the ne/t5 and one such e/am le is the (ollo-ing% 4+here3 see the old man -ith locks thinned and gray2 Cast one glance i( you lease3 u on the young mother3 -hose shoulders are .are to the scorching

Petrovi sun3 her .riny tears (alling on the .ro- the .a.e in her arms25 6$u((y and 7esel3 1"92 As 7u((y and 7esel ut it3 4the a eals are auditory as -ell as visual52 >e descri.es into details% 4the 4chain rattles5 and the crack o( the slave -hi 3 the anguished scream o( a young -oman (layed52 61"9 In the conclusion3 or the peroration3 $ouglass mentions the $eclaration o( Inde endence as he had .een doing so o(ten in the te/t2 >o-ever3 at this oint he sim ly -ants to e/ resses his (aith in the (uture and his o inion that the (uture -ill .ring such communicative means that -ill revent the American society (rom (urther denying the issues2 In that manner3 he says% 4:ceans no longer divide3 .ut link nations together D ' ace is com aratively annihilated D *o a.use3 no outrage -hether in taste3 s ort or avarice can no- hide itsel( (rom the all= ervading light25 As +erill also remarks3 it is $ouglass0s 4remarka.le o.servation regarding the colla se o( s ace and time as a conse,uence o( modern technology5 that is used in his outstanding strategy o( 4colla sing5 the distance .et-een the ast and the resent2 6+erril3 !!?9 $ouglass3 sur risingly3 (inishes his s eech -ith &illiam Lloyd <arrison0s oem3 4+he +rium h o( #reedom25 Nnlike the resent day cele.ration o( the American #ourth o( July3 the cele.ration that <arrison invokes in his lines is the one in -hich $ouglass could make a s eech o( a true su 7esel3 119 Considering all o( these narrative techni,ues and the -ay $ouglass .rings them together into a uni,ue strategy3 this s eech needs to .e seen as an e/am le o( ho- (orm and meaning de end on and su ort each other2 $ouglass achieved more -ith his smart using o( the linguistic means and stylistic devices than he -ould have ever achieved .y sim ly a roaching this task that -as in (ront o( him in a usual manner3 taking the stand oint o( an in(uriated e/=slave demanding or even .eseeching the (reedom (or his (ello- slaves2 $ouglass em loyed the methods used .y classical orators and success(ully a.sor.ed all the instruments availa.le to make the .est out o( his er(ormance2 >is a roach and his understanding o( rhetoric -ere his main -ea ons in this (ight -hose victory he greatly contri.uted2 ort and the one -hich -ould cele.rate America as he -ishes it to .e2 6$u((y and

Petrovi 1" &orks Cited

$u((y3 7ernard O2 and 7esel3 Pchard $23 4Pecollection3 Pegret and #ore.oding in #rederick $ouglass0s #ourth o( July :rations o( 18?! and 18B?53 (rom Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity@ !"1"3 Qol2 1! Issue 13 ages 8=1?3 1! AcClure3 Oevin P23 4#rederick $ouglassR Nse o( Com arison in his #ourth o( July :ration% A +e/tual Criticism253 (rom Western Journal of Communication@ #all !"""3 Qol2 J8 Issue 83 8!?=888 +errill3 Po.ert 123 4Irony3 'ilence3 and +ime% #rederick $ouglass on the #i(th o( July53 (rom uarterly Journal of !peech@ August !""F3 Qol2 8C Issue F3 !1J=!F8 Andre-s &illiam L2 and Ac #eely &illiam '23 G0 *arrative o( the li(e o( #rederick $ouglass an American slave -ritten .y himsel(003 A norton critical edition2 &2&2 *orton S Com any2*e- Hork2London3 1CCB htt %TT---2(rederickdouglass2orgTdouglassU.io2html htt %TTteachingamericanhistory2orgTli.raryTinde/2as )documentV1J! htt %TTen2-iki edia2orgT-ikiTA o hasisWParali sis