The Passing of Grandison

In Chesnutt’s “The Passing of Grandison,” he uses irony to highlight the issues he discusses. The central idea focuses on how a slave master’s son, Dick, attempts to win his fiancé’s heart over. His fiancée was once amazed by a man who took a slave up north to free him. Thinking he could do the same and amaze his lover, Dick takes a slave named Grandison up north. Throughout the entire trip Dick gives Grandison countless opportunities to escape however he refuses to take them after being told he is free in the north. Finally, while in Canada Dick woke up and to his amazement saw that Grandison was gone. He returned home to his fiancé where he was seen as a hero for his kindhearted deed. However, some time after the two wed, an unexpected visitor arrived. It was Grandison. Ironically he never ran away but was kidnapped by abolitionists and beaten. He escaped the men to find his way back home to his master.

"The Passing of Grandison" is a literary piece that tells that is built on irony. It shows how white plantation owners felt about their slaves and thought that they were to dumb to even consider escaping. This story shows that the black slaves were not as dumb as the master's thought. When Grandison returned it was a symbol that slaves were a lot smarter than everyone thought they were. Chesnutt used the innocence of an un-knowing slave to highlight the ignorance of slave owners during this time as the slave inadvertently out-smarted his master.

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Underlying Themes

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is fun story filled with wit and portrayal of southern society during the Civil War era. While the book can be read by all ages, the themes Twain transpires are extremely complex. For instance the theme of education is portrayed as Huck refuses to go to school and object the morals he is being taught. Huck object to many of the morals for which his elders stand for, in particular slavery. Huck is constantly hounded by society for his choices to go against what they see as cultural norms and do what he feels is best. Eventually he develops a conscience of his own where is makes decisions based on how he feels rather than how society does. This becomes especially obvious when he sets off on the raft with Jim. This gave Huck complete freedom from society as he did not have to worry about social consequences of his actions. Huck could be whomever he pleased and befriend whomever.

Nothing conveys Huck’s liberal stance he developed than his relation with Jim, a black slave whom he became extremely close with. By the end of the story he even frees Jim; which went against southern mores at the time. Huck developed a liberal view on society free from school which taught him the complete opposite of what he felt he should believe. Overall, Twain sets out to show that the goal at the time was to teach children earlier on what to believe and think of people. However, Twain’s character in Huck Finn showed us that it was possible to change the cycle that was trying to be created in the south at the time. Twain was able to bring out a lighter side in both black and white races as the two bonded.

Beat! Beat! Drums!

I agree with Mark Nelly’s assertion concerning Whitman’s poem “Beat! Beat! Drums.” No where in Whitman’s poem is there a mention of slavery, emancipation, or anything relating to such topics. However, Whitman does use the metaphor of the drums to serve as unification among the people who hear the drums, which pretty much is everyone as Whitman covers a variety of different people. The drums sweep through the group of people mentioned consuming their consciousness and calling for unification among the people for the good of the war. The drums serve as an overwhelming concern which gets greater and greater consuming more and more people as time goes on. “Blow! Bugles! Blow!” this shows how Whitman wanted immediate action and attention to be heard and this concern of the war (the bugles and drums) to sweep throughout every citizen who wanted to stand up for their country. While the poem can be confusing when first read, you begin to see that these drums are an urgent call for people to unite and drop what they are doing. “No happiness must he have now with his bride…” This quotation from line five demonstrates perfectly how Whitman feels towards the war as everyone no matter what the cause (even marriage), needs to give the war attention.

I feel this poem is a reflection of Whitman’s concern for war attention. However Whitman may want such drastic and immediate attention because he feels the problem of slavery needs to be abolished as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I am forced to concur with Nelly due to no evidence even acknowledging the practice of slavery. The poem is a cry for unification and attention to the war.