Internet Quote: "'I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man,'"(The White House, Jefferson)
Summary: In the Author quote I think what the author is saying is that Thomas Paine started this country by writing the work that fueled out Rebellion against Great Britain, but we also hate him because he wanted us to follow his ideas to the letter like he did, but Americans didn't. Americans wanted to change them so that they fitted what we wanted. Then with the quote by Jefferson He is the same as Paine wanting to follow what he wrote in The Declaration word for word even wanting to free all slaves (in his younger years). Also with the internet quote Jefferson doesn't quite follow through with what he says, like not freeing his children from slavery. He changes the meaning of what he said to fit his circumstances, and not follow his word religiously.
My Ideas: Both of these men are crucial to what it means to be American. They both wrote pieces that are the bases of our society today, but they also are not followed to the letter like these men wanted them to be. One would follow his rules for the rest of his life while the other changed his views in certain aspects. With Paine and his life/quote i feel sad. That this man, who started the phrase that would soon be the title of our country, has been demonized and hidden for most Americans. Then with Jefferson the part of his life that he spent with Sally Hemingway and their children is also very sad. I feel for his kids, who would never get the satisfaction of being claimed by their father. Though I think that situation was also painful for Jefferson, not being to have a normal relationship with his "black" children. I understand the reasons for why he wouldn't tell America about his slave children, and the ridicule he would get from them. But it's not like other white males didn't do the same as he did. I don't understand what made them go bananas over the fact that he had a "black" mistress. It makes no sense when the people who were calling him out on it probably had black mistresses of their own. So really Jefferson hiding his children from the world is not exactly right. He just hurt himself and his children. Both of these men have things that are hidden. One he hid himself, while the other was hidden by history.
No comments:
Post a Comment