Analysis Of The Fourth Of July By Audre Lorde

845 Words2 Pages

Americans, the notoriously claimed ignorant people of society. The process of becoming a default American of today’s culture involves simple steps. Firstly being, one must purely neglect the notion of an independence day and replace it with a widely known date, the Fourth of July. This is the date people are required to set out and spend half of their monthly check on explosives compounded with fire of various colors to impress everyone for a mere thirty seconds. Along with this must come the obligatory invitation of family’s families sided with lawn chairs sprawled out across the bug infested lawn. However, if the person following these steps is anything but white, they must disregard the entirety of these points. For this day of independence was not fought all beings in America, but just the selfish whites living in the colonies who mindlessly used slaves to do their dirty work. Is this what being an American was and is nowadays? The concept of being an American is so extensively butchered into the idea of freedom, equality, and diversity however the countless ideas …show more content…

Lorde asserts, "Preparation were in the air around our house before school was even over. We packed for a week" (239). In this excerpt, Lorde’s tone illustrates happiness and excitement. Lorde’s use of dramatic change of tone further exemplifies the severity of her message. Later, Lorde addresses her own personal definition of American independence through her repetition used in the last paragraph of the word white (242). This use of repetition defines her meaning along with the use of irony to show how flawed American “independence” was to her. While her trip was located in Washington D.C., the capital of America denoted as the place of freedom and equality, she was treated unfairly due to her

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