Thibodeau 1

Mary “Mollie” Thibodeau

Stephanie Maenhardt

ENGL-1050-502-Sp18

February 1, 2018

Othering

Part One

“Othering” is a term which is ingrained in our society. It has demonstrated to be entirely

hard to eradicate since it is taking various forms of motives, multiple events, and situations to

reappear. Othering is an evil stem which people persistently attempt cutting back (Weaver 420).

The kind of prejudice that broods is attained from the desire of people to bloat their self-

preservation, ego, and insufficient comprehension on how the actions of racists impact the

society. The events which have been documented like Angel Island, Ellis Island, the speech of

Fredrick Douglass entitled “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, and “A More Perfect Union

by Obama all may be assessed as the motives behind unwarranted racisms that happened both in

previous and current times.

Angel and Ellis Islands form the significant instances of racism which caused by the need

of people for self-preservation and ego inflation. Gordon Mary (432) wrote concerning her

official visit to an Ellis Island. Within her mythical piece, she deliberates on the mistreatments

that were happening to the immigrants via the laws and medical checkups that were approved to

avert as multiple immigrants from setting foot in the USA. Such rules were adopted and the way

in which the Island structure was run typically never portrayed the doings of a single individual

but the majority effects that treated minorities with contempt and insult. The people of America

who formed the majority did that due to fright that incoming immigrants would be working for
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cheaper wages, thus creating a grander struggle in support of getting as well as their jobs. Only

people who seemed to be deserving and concentrating on self-preservation would agree to work

for low wages. All these are meant to eliminate several people from getting better opportunity

and living standard to partake in societal needs. Angel Island forms another instance, which

reflects effects and events which cropped due to “othering.” Specifically, in the Angel Island, the

act of Chinese exclusion affected the minority. The laws put off Chinese laborers immigration.

They were similarly ratified to avert immigrants from finding their way into the USA. However,

they were repealed eventually and minorities mistreatment reduced with time. Regrettably, there

are similar problems, which currently continue to influence our nation. The basis of racism that

goes together with such predicaments has never changed. One can still presently read the latest

news on the immigration reform development that is deemed to be an unswerving issue for the

people who are engulfed in protecting their interest through not paying for associated costs of

offering citizenship to illegal immigrants living in America.

Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” and a speech by Fredrick Douglas entitled “What to

the slave is the Fourth of July form a better instances current and past discourse towards an issue

of unity. The shared concern certainly is “othering” developed by a majority wishing to protect

self-preservation but having poor comprehension of the ways in which racist actions impact the

society. Differences may be there on how extreme minority mistreatment was portrayed during

the time the two speeches were offered. Besides, a distinction might appear on how minority

faction views social norms about the speeches. However, the intent of discourse presented by

Barrack Obama and Fredrick Douglass depicted some parallelisms in contrast. The two

legendary aspired to bring light on issues about racism. The notion of obliterating minorities

mistreatment was their common good. Douglass outlined in his speech, “the reformer’s eye is
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encountered with fuming lashes, act as if it’s devastating times; though the heart might

excellently beat lighter when thinking that America is younger…” (Douglass 461).

One clear instance of “othering” which Douglass illustrates within the discourse is the

way 72 delinquencies occurred that could impose a black man to punishment by death; however,

only two of similar crimes would make a white man be subjected to a similar chastisement

(Douglass 466). A similar sentimentality is given out by Douglass and myself. Occasionally,

there exist several grievances in which a person might get him/herself in our present homeland

nevertheless there is a chance of making changes. That transformation for society is often

deemed to be a forward motion towards increasing impartiality. Besides, the change should be

used as a conduit of limiting oppression otherwise negative undertones meted to individuals from

other ethnicities and races. A greater deal of adjustments which has been seen since the

foundation of this remarkable nation, nonetheless many others are still required to happen.

Obama became profound in spotlighting plethora concerns which have never been corrected. He

referred to concerns of racism and ethnicity as “legalized bigotry.” Obama proposes that the

motives in support of our present affluence and the gap concerning income seen between black

and white individuals typically are the precincts created to bar blacks from getting loans for

business, accessing FHA mortgages as well as segregation from various associations and

particular occupations (Obama 479). His statement in one of his address says “operating jointly

we shall have the capacity to go past ethnic mutilations…” (Obama 480). There is an ingrained

sentiment that as a society we are not supposed to expect flawlessness instantly but folks ought

to be firm in their course actions with the purpose of enhancing the living standards of everyone

regardless of how arduous a task might seem. Obama tackled the concerns with a diverse

rhetorical point of view as compared to Douglas. However, Fredrick Douglass similarly took
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home racial tension issues. He also in proved how racial and ethnicity has slackened the equality

progress within our present society. Surprisingly, there seem to be some parallels which Obama

illustrated concerning the past problems as well as such issues have transformed a few things

within our current age and day. Issues that people face continuously nowadays were never talked

about within the two speeches. The problems bedeviling the current generation are gay

marriages, compensation of women with their places of work, and educational grants. These

obstinate matters are additional instances pointing out that “othering” is started by related

motives.

Mostly, it is inevitable that several accomplishments have been made within our societies

when it comes to challenging “othering” issues. On the other hand, motives like self-protection

and poor comprehension on how to extinguish racism might help a population all together to

have complete equality attainment. It is proven when comparing the how societies are viewing

situations as exhibited in the Angel Island and Ellis Island then correspond such conditions on

how the USA government still approach laws of immigration presently. Other similarities and

differences may be taken from the made observations drawn from the times of Frederick

Douglass then subsequently when Obama offered his speech. Both discourses shed some lights

concerning inequality matters in our society. I can only have hopes that our steps towards racism

and ethnicity should continue heading in the appropriate direction in support of every

discrimination act in the country. It is through the process in which precedents shall be set

preclude unnecessary sufferings and hardships by the future minorities in America. As long as

these hurdles are conclusively surmounted, we shall be able to stand as united individuals

capable of responding to more significant problems with further efficiency and diligence.
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Part Two

Barack Obama’s speech entitled “A More Perfect Union” indicated a notable instance on

how to synchronize the three distinctive requests which are made to any audience in case one

opts to use classical rhetoric. The three significant appeals made in the speech of Barrack Obama

include logos, ethos, and pathos. The statement adopted all these three rhetoric forms in assisting

in passing the message presented. Additionally, the appeals made the speech to be acknowledged

and smitten with a greater quantity of gravity by the available audience. Earlier in the address,

Obama made a statement to the listeners about the history of his family and explained how he

disagreed with Reverend Wright, his past pastor (Obama 480).

Ethos practice is exhibited when Obama clarifies his multicultural family origin. In spite

of having negative association Reverend Wright, he did not renounce him as becoming part of

the group that steered his success. Typically, this is a better approach to proving he is excellently

versed with the racism concerns in American society. About his previous pastor, Barack Obama

portrays how he can distinguish some bad and good things without shying away. Reasonably, he

has a propensity to put more focus on the good as well as study whatever can be attained from

any negative issue (George, Diana and John 45).

The other form of rhetoric associated with the speech is pathos. It describes how a

literary work intensifies emotional responses within an audience during the presentation. Obama

did not only provoked people ‘s emotions by his wordings, but he similarly referenced all the

considerable aspects of speech. The sentiments and motivations of listeners quick to be realized

as the former president expressed eloquently the shortcomings which the succeeding generation

would experience. Emotions were not only attained from his expressions but correspondingly
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entrenched within the texts. In parts of his discourse, he references “the resentment in black

communities” as well as how such anger has “influenced political landscapes for the successive

generation to come in future.”

Logos is the last form of rhetoric which is assists in connecting the listeners to Obama’s

statements (Blommaert, Jan, and Chris 451). Logos singles out how a message can be true in a

literary work alongside the mode of the reasoning behind such piece. Obama is unequivocal in

his speech that our duty to understand out diversities would bring about egalitarianism in

America, which is essential in accomplishing our forefathers dreams of perfect unity in a

country.

An intensive message which grips the audience typically is whatever was achieved by

using the three rhetoric within Obama’s entitled “A More Perfect Union.” Extending words as

used in this speech is a skill that not many people can have and perform with grace efficiently.

Obama had the capability of achieving this through his subtle ways of presenting credibility

concerning the topics under study. The skills with which he raises emotions together with his

artistry proficiency in developing his examples and issues employed in illustrating his notions

made Obama be an outstanding character.

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Works Cited

Blommaert, Jan, and Chris Bulcaen. "Critical discourse analysis." Annual review of

Anthropology 29.1 (2000): 447-466.

Douglas, Frederick. “What to the Salves is the Fourth of July?” Reading Culture: Contexts for

Critical Reading and Writing, edited by John Trimbur and Diana George, Pearson

Education, 2012, 460-470.

George, Diana, and John Trimbur, eds. Reading culture: Contexts for critical reading and

writing. Longman Publishing Group, 2001.

Gordon, Mary. “More Than Just a Shrine.” Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and

Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. New York: Longman, 2012. 432-434. Print.

Obama, Barack. “A More Perfect Union.” Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and

Writing, edited by John Trimbur and Diana George, Pearson Education, 2012. 450-490

Weaver, S. (2011). Jokes, rhetoric and embodied racism: A rhetorical discourse analysis of the

logics of racist jokes on the Internet. Ethnicities, 11(4), 413-435.