“People doubted if I had ever been a slave. They said I did
not talk like a slave, look like a slave, nor act like a slave, and they
believed I had never been south of Mason and Dion’s line” (1078).
One of the spectacular things that Douglass made me aware of
is the emphasis we put on class positions purely based on our abilities to
speak well. Douglass had been a slave for a number of years, and had eventually
found the ability to remove himself from the situation and make something of
their life. Yet, a strong education laid the foundation for where they were
able to take themselves. The quote above depicts this flawlessly: by utilizing
a profound lexicon those around them assume that they could not be a member of
slavery simply due to their ability to form thoughts that do not fit the
stereotype we have of slaves.
This poses a very interesting idea: if a strong lexicon can
mask the social upbringing of an individual then that same lexicon—both in the
written and verbal use—can allow one to ultimately change their class stature.
There is such an emphasis on this nature of education that it is marvelous at
how well it can be applied to the teaching of rhetoric. This definitely relates
back to my paper topic of public speech and rhetoric: your lexicon becomes a
direct reflection of how the world will view you. Speak with your intellect,
not with the casual tongue of an unlearned man.
I think your point hits on literacy, which is entirely political and economic in its social stratification. Although I agree that Douglass was able to change his position based on his education, the fact that he is still a token implies more about institutional authority than just is will of character. It would be wonderful if everyone could "speak with your intellect, not with the casual tongue of the unlearned man" but that implies that it is the obligation of the speaker and not the educational system or systems of oppression. I believe that everyone should get to learn to past their full potential, but that cannot always happen when we live in a flawed system. Jonathan Kozel wrote a book entitled "The Shame of the Nation" which discusses how apartheid is still present within the modern inner-city educational system. And the reason why there is apartheid has to do with race. Although I think that Douglass overcame a lot of obstacles within his life time, he was never able to escape racism. Rather than just education, there is a multitude of layers that contribute to someone's ability to speak well.
ReplyDeleteThis is where I think rhetoric can be effective, in searching for context and reasons why things work the way they do, we can establish a method for fixing it. Although institutional barriers take decades to break, and I think Douglass was at the perfect kairos for breaking some of those barriers. It is important to keep in mind exigence and kairos in order to establish ways to move on. Although I take your point that rising to personal expectations is good, I think it is not everyone's fault if they speak in a "casual tongue."