Fetscher 1

Helen Fetscher
Professor Logan
AML3031- American Literature I
01 May 2015
American Literature I Spring 2015 Final Exam
1) Using Emersons essays The American Scholar and Self-Reliance, describe and
define the concept of self-reliance. What are the most important characteristics of selfreliance and how do you know? Where and how do you see the speaker in these essays
speaking or acting on self-reliance?
The concept of self-reliance illustrated by Emerson depicts a person capable of helping
themselves through means of having the ability to survive independently. Similar to Benjamin
Franklins virtues to suggest the path to affluence, a self-reliant person needs to be educated, and
work to better themselves on a daily basis in order to reach a point in which society does not
have a strong grasp on their character.
Emerson as a writer upholds one of the most critical characteristics in self-reliance,
integrity. Through his works to amalgamate the spirituality and faith of Christian doctrine with
the logical thinking embraced in The Age of Reason, many people from both groups of followers
argued of his radical concept associated with transcendentalism. However, he persists with his
ideals and the flexibility to change minds, Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He
who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of the goodness, but must
explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of our own mind (Emerson
827). Through this, Emerson demonstrates how new ideas are perceived and shared among the
community so long as each individual is willing to propose the ideas they see despite the
reluctance of society. Similarly to the Platos cave analogy, it is very likely that those ignorant of
the reality will remain in the dark looking upon the shadows on the wall. But the self-reliant

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person who grows with integrity must refrain from conforming to hope that others will do the
same in a fashion that is suitable for them.
6) Choose one virtue or value that Franklin upholds in his Autobiography as a key to
becoming successful in America. Then show how Occom upholds, complicates, or
challenges that key to success in his Short Narrative.
Throughout Franklins autobiography there is much evidence of his good and bad deeds
that were contributed to the blooming society of his time. If it were not for his humility, also
considered the thirteenth virtue of Franklin, more attention may have been directed towards his
ill deeds than his creations. Between inventions, contributions to electricity, self-reflection aiding
in his growth to affluence, writings, journals, and open mind to the Age of Reason, it would be
easy to become rather pompous with such achievements. However, because of his humility, his
nation followed him more so as a leader to give credibility and meaning to the virtues he
indirectly provides for the people. His humility and means to Imitate Jesus and Socrates
(Franklin 458) works as a form of inspiration and therefore, a key to becoming successful and
honored in America.
Samson Occom follows a similar path in several ways to reach a stage of affluence
through means of an education. Although he follows many of the virtues that Ben Franklin lists,
Occom complicates the ability to have humility by disassociating himself with the Native
Americans. In the same family with humility, his path to affluence is somewhat boastful that he
is educated and no longer a heathen. Although in some cases Occom takes pity on the Indians
and desires to spend the optimum amount of time to teach them for the sake of becoming
educated, his powerful tone switching between the Native Americans and the Whites varies from
Franklin as he teaches the Indians, but has a limited audience of the Whites. When Occom
speaks of the natives stating, I opposed them not openly but let them go in their way, and

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whenever I had an opportunity, I would reach Such pages of the Scriptures, and I thought would
confound their Notions (Occom 507), humility is not present as he takes the teacher role far too
authoritative over his students.
Occoms lack of humility as Franklin would propose is needed is more so complicated by
Occoms narrative as opposed to challenging it for he is in a difficult situation in which he is
addressing the Whites. Unlike a form of hypocrisy that is apparent between teaching the natives
with a Native American background with a White mindset, Occoms intent to take a perspective
of a White man is justified through means of Franklins other virtue of sincerity. His intents are
never for harmful deceit and with the motivation to captivate the White mans attention, taking
such assertive tones may be necessary to be heard in the case of Occom, thus complicating his
means for lacking humility in his works.
7) Audre Lorde (whom we did not read) writes that The masters tools will never
dismantle the masters house. We have talked about how writing and reading are, for
some American people, especially Native Americans and African Americans, a masters
tool. Discuss how a text we have read by one of the following authors upholds, complicates,
or challenges Lordes statement: Douglass, Jacobs, Occom.
From our reading of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs depicts the story of her
successful escape and therefore her means of disrupting her Masters home. Through her ability
to read and write, the authority of Dr. Flint is minimized with an entitled power that cannot be
stripped from her. Jacobs truly challenges Lordes statement through various means. The
inception of her power in reading and writing is her deliberate defiance to Dr. Flint through
contacting the white unmarried man by choosing who will be the man to take advantage of her
purity. This tool dismantles the house of Dr. Flint through his disgruntled wife believing her to be

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conceiving her husbands children all the while being fully aware that she has such power by
being able to keep communication with the White doctor.
Furthermore, in chapter XVII The Flight, Lordes statement is once more challenged
through Jacobs ability to read. In Norcoms (Dr. Flint) reward advertisement for the missing
Harriet Jacobs contains a vivid description of Jacobs including the manner in which she dresses,
wears her hair and even her speech, She speaks easily and fluently, and has an agreeable
carriage and address. Being a good seamstress, she has been accustomed to dress well (Norcom
933). Just as Jacobs could cause disruption to the home through disobeying Dr. Flint, Jacobs had
the power or tool to act and dress against her description as best she could once leaving the
garret.
Finally, though written through a different persona and submitted anonymously, Jacobs
ability to write highly challenges Lordes statement The masters tools will never dismantle the
masters house in that her submitted narrative to the reading abolitionists work as extensions to
her purpose in writing. Jacobs publication of her narrative in its honest form inspires and informs
the ignorant audience of what slavery is like to ultimately aid in abolishing slavery and the
masters house.
8) We discussed the 19th-century concept of True Womanhood in class. Select one chapter
from Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl or Ferns Blackwells Island or The
Coming Woman and discuss how the text in that chapter upholds, complicates, or
challenges ONE tenet of True Womanhood. (Note: Do not write about all 4 tenets of True
Womanhood.)
In chapter X A Perilous Passage in the Slave Girls Life of Jacobs novel, the reader
witnesses how the tenet of piety is complicated for the sake of true womanhood. Unlike many
women of the nineteenth century in which the model of True Womanhood would apply, Jacobs is

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constricted by the tight demands and limitations of slavery. This chapter in particular shows how
slavery strips women from upholding the desires of True Womanhood in its natural form. Jacobs
intent to be pious is evident but hindered, But, O, ye happy women, whose purity has been
sheltered from childhood, who have been free to choose the objects of your affection, whose
homes are protected by law, do not judge the poor desolate slave girl too severely! If slavery had
been abolished, I, also, could have married the man of my choice/But all my prospects had been
blighted by slavery (Jacobs 927). She demonstrates the complex situation of upholding True
Womanhood in the confines of slavery.
As a female African American slave, Jacobs was viewed as inferior and not even deemed
to be a full person that can be expected to fully uphold the tenet of piety. Jacobs must bear in
mind the outlook of her children and how to raise them as pious in order to justify her own piety.
Considering her circumstances, the good pious Jacobs looked out for what would be the best
thing for her children, as pious mothers ought to do in any situation handed to them. If Jacobs
were to withhold her piety (and purity) from Dr. Flint, she would be required to defy his orders in
which such arrogance could not be tolerated by him that willfully owns her as property.
Though these actions would show a pious heart, it would guarantee hardships and
corruption on her children. However, in the latter option to submit to the sexual harassment done
by Dr. Flint, the children would be conceived out of wedlock, through adultery, and raised in a
home without a claimed father to uphold the pious status of their name. In other words, it is
inevitable that in the situation of slavery, women cannot be held to the same social standards of
True Womanhood when not given the luxury of liberty to their decisions.
10) This course introduced the concept double-consciousness with Wheatley, Occom,
Douglass, and Jacobs. Select one passage from Wheatleys poetry, Occoms Short
Narrative, Douglasss Narrative, or Jacobs Incidents, and show how double-consciousness

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operates in that passage. What is at stake (for readers and writers) in doubleconsciousness? Make sure that you show clearly your understanding of the term doubleconsciousness and that you relate that term specifically to how a particular scene is
narrated in the text.
In Phillis Wheatleys poem, On Being Brought from Africa to America, the presence of
double-consciousness is present through the form of her writing along with the content she
writes. While much of her poetry is written on the horrors of slavery, she claims that her being
brought into slavery worked as her salvation. On one hand, she includes herself within the
category of Blacks when writing Some view our sable race with scornful eye (Wheatley 5), but
this claim as ours diminishes as she writes of Negros in the third person, Remember,
Christians, Negros, black as Cain/May be refind, and join th angelic train (Wheatley 7-8).
The dual consciousness exists in that Wheatley claims her heritage as an African but
simultaneously retracts herself to becoming an American that equates to becoming Christian.
Wheatleys belief that Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land puts her at stake by
means that it can give a wrong message depending on the reader. Although her situation as a
slave was much more fortunate, the double consciousness of the illiterate, Pagan African can be
misinterpreted as a label when combined with the literate, Christian Phillis Wheatley. This
double consciousness puts at her stake for a traitor, hypocrite, or false motives brought across in
her message. For instance, an African in slavery may be told that in order to obtain salvation,
they must become a slave. Similarly, the wrong message can be given to literate Whites to
believe that slavery is beneficial and desirable by all slaves.

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Works Cited
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature Volume
I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco and Linck Johnson. Boston:
Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 827.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The Bedford Anthology of
American Literature Volume I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco
and Linck Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 458.
Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The Bedford Anthology of American
Literature Volume I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco and Linck
Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 927.
Norcom, James. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The Bedford Anthology of American
Literature Volume I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco and Linck
Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 933.
Occom, Samson. A Short Narrative of my Life. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature
Volume I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco and Linck Johnson.
Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 507.
Wheatley, Phillis. On Being Brought from Africa to America. The Bedford Anthology of
American Literature Volume I: Beginnings to 1865 Second Edition. Ed. Susan Belasco
and Linck Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St Martins, 2014. Print. 602.

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