Paul Stultz

Professor Sue Briggs

English 1050
July 7, 2014
Part One: Othering
A perpetual source of division and conflict among the people of this world, past and
present, is "othering" -- the act of viewing or treating differently those who come from different
ethnic or racial backgrounds. Despite much progress towards a more enlightened awareness of
the positive to be learned from a diversity of perspective, even in modern times humanity can't
seem to shake the tendency to generalize people that are perceived as different into shallow
caricatures; superficial stereotypes that classify pieces of humanity into groups of "others"
which inevitably fall short of the standards and values of one's own culture. The majority group,
having the political power to wield, judges the minority group to be unequal and thus unworthy
of equal treatment. It is my belief that othering is a result of dehumanization, whether caused
by ignorance or ego or economic agenda. It is an ignorance of all that we have in common with
each other despite various superficial differences. If you only focus on differences outside of
context then it is easier to ignore the common humanity and then rationalize lesser treatment
of other groups. Thus, the progress in the reduction of othering is a result of greater
understanding of different cultural perspectives, and the flip side of the same coin is that
othering persists to the present because we don't yet understand other cultures well enough.
Frederick Douglass addresses this directly in his speech on American Slavery. The
brutality of slavery is a very extreme example of othering, and necessarily requires the
dehumanization of those who are to be enslaved. A decent man possessing empathy for his
fellow man would not enslave another -- but he would keep animals as livestock. "Must I
undertake to prove that the slave is a man?"(466) Douglass asks his audience. He then goes on
to argue that the slaves' humanity is self evident. The fact that he made the point affirms that
there were those who, at that time, did indeed doubt the equal humanity of slaves despite the
evidence of laws enacted to punish slaves for disobedience. Would such a law ever be enacted
for livestock? Would animals be capable of farming and trade work and development of
intellect? Douglass thus tears down the justification for slavery by establishing the humanity of
the slaves.
Barack Obama's speech occurs at a later time when much has happened in the progress
towards equality for African Americans. Slavery has been long abolished, and the civil rights era
is decades past. But even when the power of law has been reformed to enforce equality, there
is still deep divisions within society along the same racial lines. Obama, himself the product of
an intercultural and interracial marriage, succinctly demonstrates this in voicing the attitudes of
some on both sides when he says, "some commentators have deemed me either 'too black' or
'not black enough.'"(477) Again, the focus on difference rather than commonality, as if only
one way to be is the right way. The speech was prompted by Obama's former pastor, Reverend
Wright, who had recently made some divisive and incendiary statements concerning race.
Obama diffused the tense and racially charged environment by appealing to Wright's humanity
- the positive aspects that we can all empathize with and aspire too: "[Reverend Wright] is a
man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our
obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor."(478) Obama further
explained how Reverend Wright came of age in a time when racial discrimination was still
enshrined in the law of the land, and in that context his views, while inflammatory in the
present, were certainly valid within the context of his experience. The audience gained insight
and empathy for the reverend's experiences, transforming him from a figure of hatred to that
of a decent, though flawed, human being.
Gloria Anzaldua was also the product of multiple cultures, with an adjoining mix of
languages. Much like Obama, she was being pulled in two directions by two cultures each vying
for dominance, each convinced of its own superiority. She was required to take English speech
classes with the purpose "to get rid of our accents."(522) Conversely, she was told she was a
"cultural traitor, you're speaking the oppressor's language by speaking English, you're ruining
the Spanish language." She was being pushed by each culture to "other" the other despite
being part of both. In the end, she and others in her cultural community came together to form
their own culture which recognizes the contributions from a variety of cultural sources. This is
a good example of what is possible by recognizing that positive values can come from many
different perspectives.
In "Nobody Mean More to Me than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan," black
students are dealing with othering by white police, resulting in the brutal beating death of the
brother of one of the students. The students struggle to find a way to voice their objections to
those that have wronged them in a way that would be both true to their cultural identity but at
the same time be taken seriously by their antagonists in another cultural context. Eventually it
is decided that the police will have to accept them as they are, on their own terms. As their
introductory paragraph states, "At least we stick to the truth: Be who we been."(165) Despite
my respect for their idealism in taking pride in the unique strength and identity of their own
culture and language, fellow student in this class, Cameron Thor, brings cold reality to bear
when he says, " The fact of the matter is, as illustrated by the dilemma Jordan is faced with at
the end, proper English is given more weight & taken more seriously in main stream culture
than 'Black English'." This is an example of othering happening within modern times, seemingly
in mockery of all the progress that has been made.
In closing, it has become clear that the parts of human nature responsible for othering --
suspicion of outsiders and fear of differences -- can be countered by other aspects of human
nature -- curiosity and intelligence to learn and understand, and empathy for our fellow human
beings. We all have within us the potential to progress in better understanding others and
ourselves, thus there is hope for a more peaceful and harmonious future for all.

Part Two: Critical Analysis
Frederick Douglass, in his speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?," immediately
makes use of ethos in establishing humility when he states, "He who could address this
audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have"(460). I've noticed that
this is a common rhetorical strategy in giving speeches, and I feel that it is helpful in opening
the minds of the audience. After all, who would want to listen to an arrogant or condescending
speech? Humility implies a willingness to listen as well as to speak, which is essential for the
free exchange of ideas. Additionally, in the context of his time, Douglass is able to make use of
ethos simply by being who and what he was - African American, a former slave but free and
educated, eloquent, possessing the very human capabilities the slave traders of the time would
deny he should have.
Pathos is a particularly powerful weapon in Douglass' arsenal. He first establishes a
sense of patriotism, of pride in the monumental effort and bravery required in the
accomplishment of starting the experiment of representative democracy and the concept of
inherent human rights. He speaks of how these accomplishments bring unity and common
purpose to the United States. He then evokes a strong sense of shame at the injustice of slavery,
the hypocrisy of proclaiming that all men are created equal, then of treating some men as less
than human. He makes it clear that every citizen that allows the injustice to continue is
personally responsible for perpetuating it; nobody, whether individual or institution, is spared
this judgment save those who have actively sought to end slavery. He ends on a more hopeful
note, that there is potential for the United States to realize its full potential share the fruits of
its success with all citizens, not just a select few -- but only so long as the necessary work is
done. Change does not happen on its own.
Douglass makes use of Logos in the theme of common humanity that is a central point
to the speech. The logic is straightforward. Slaves are men and all men are created equal,
therefore slavery is counter to the values of the nation and cannot be allowed to stand.
The principles outlined in Douglass' speech are as relevant today as they were in his
time, despite the difference in context brought about by historical progress in civil rights. The
dignity of all men is still central to our national identity, both locally and internationally. The
future is shaped by our actions in the present. This speech leaves me feeling melancholy at our
past and present failings but still hopeful for a better future.

Works cited

Douglass, Frederick. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Reading Culture: Contexts for
Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. New York: Longman, 2012. 460-
475. Print.

Obama, Barack. A More Perfect Union. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and
Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. New York: Longman, 2012. 476-483. Print.

Jordan, June. Nobody Mean More to Me than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan.
Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur.
New York: Longman, 2012. 157-167. Print.

Anzaldua, Gloria. How to Tame a Wild Tongue. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading
and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. New York: Longman, 2012. 521-528. Print.