Yun Lee's Essay The Politics Of Language

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1. What does the author believe the white population becomes in paragraph 15 as a result of Douglass’s newfound literacy? = In paragraph 15 of Yun Lee’s essay (The Politics of Language), she describes the once verbally domineering white population whom Douglass watched (and never directly addressed) as becoming “Passive watchers” . Throughout the first half of the narrative (where we see a now literate Douglass), he is seen as the voiceless rather ‘silent narrator’ creating emphasis on the fact that slaves did not seek unless spoken to and even rarely then. As well as making clear the voice of the white population. However as the author of the essay has observed in the second half as Frederick is brought into this new light of literacy…show more content…
Which Is greater – the power of silence or the power of the out spoken? = We have all heard the insightful saying at some point in our lives; “if speech is silver, silence is…show more content…
Even those born with the inability to communicate verbally have learned to speak with their hands. It’s the foundation of our education, the element that makes us somewhat superior to other life-forms on earth. Speech gives us the irrefutable power to express our feelings. For some of us to lose this ability would mark the end for us. It voices our opinions, come to think of it, if we never spoke we would have no reason for opinions because we will not be heard nor will we be unable to hear others. On the other end of the spectrum is silence, the one of golden value. The lame man might say, “Silence? What does silence do??? It does not say or express anything!” But fortunately for individuals who have mastered the art of silence that is not the case. Although we live in a culture that values sharing every thought and feeling, acknowledging silence between our verbal exchanges allows for a deeper insight into the significance of what we learn from others and

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