Maxwell Carter
Mrs. Boesel
AP Eng Lang
5/5/23
The Effects of Risk-Taking in the Creating and Maintaining of a Democratic Republic
The development and maintenance of a democratic republic require individuals and leaders to take risks in order to achieve their goals. Risk-taking plays a crucial role in the development and pursuit of creating and maintaining a democratic republic, as demonstrated by the actions and words of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, John Winthrop, and William Faulkner. In his “Second Inaugural Address,” Abraham Lincoln spoke about the need for reconciliation and unity after the Civil War. In the “Declaration of Independence,” Thomas Jefferson wrote about the importance of individual rights and the need for people to stand
…show more content…
Lincoln took the risk of issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in order to end slavery and preserve democracy within the Union. This action was not without its critics, but Lincoln believed that it was necessary in order to achieve the greater good. Lincoln’s quote, “The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully.” (Lincoln), reflects his belief that both sides had been wrong in imagining what lay before them when the war began four years earlier. He balanced that rejection of triumphalism with recognition of the unmistakable evil of slavery. In this context, one could say that Lincoln’s willingness to take risks and make difficult decisions was crucial in creating a democratic society that could begin to heal from the wounds of war. He understood that taking risks was an essential part of leadership and that sometimes he must be willing to make difficult decisions in order to achieve progress. Lincoln’s willingness to take risks in the pursuit of a better future for all Americans is a testament to his commitment to the principles of …show more content…
Faulkner risked using his writing to address difficult social issues and challenge traditional norms. His willingness to tackle controversial subjects earned him both praise and criticism, but Faulkner believed that it was a necessary risk in order to promote understanding and empathy. Faulkner proposed a rhetorical question, “When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.” (Faulkner) Faulkner emphasizes the importance of addressing difficult social issues and challenging traditional norms through writing, even in the face of fear and uncertainty. He understood that taking risks was an essential part of creating literature and that sometimes bold expression is required in order to challenge the status quo. Faulkner’s willingness to take risks in the pursuit of progress and change is a testament to his commitment to the principles of
It would be more than difficult not to read Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address without some sense of pride or honor for one’s own country. He brings about a call to civility among all citizens striving for unity and harmony with one another. Lincoln understood the dilemma that slavery became for not only the Northerners attempting to abolish the practice entirely, but also for the Southerners perpetuating it in the first place. The fact that there was a faction rising in favor of slavery on a scale that would divide the country indefinitely and that Lincoln foresaw this danger demonstrates the level of prudence he was able to acquire up until his presidency. In this address, Lincoln stressed the importance of the nation staying unified and true to the principles set by
Amidst the Red Scare at a high school graduation ceremony, William Faulkner conveys his reasoning to high schoolers that in order to change the world they have to overcome fear. Faulkner emphasizes his purpose by using repetition and word choice. In an overall encouraging speech, the speaker displays his purpose using repeated phrases. For instance, he said, “..when you have got old..you are tired..
Lincoln said, “I am a patient man” “but it may as well be understood, once and for all, that I shall not surrender this game” (Goodwin 216). Being a patient leader is hard to come by and Lincoln being such an understanding man is a great factor for having a successful political leadership. Lincoln was a hard but generous man, he “offered the rebellious states a last chance to end the war” (Goodwin 217). Lincoln had good leadership but is taking the patient way to
In this specific Proclamation, it was NOT at all for slavery, it was a war measure. “In a letter to his Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, he admitted that the original proclamation had no legal justification, except as a military measure.” (37). It was also a way to continue trade with the Europeans because of their recent decision in abolishing slavery. The Europeans would not agree with Lincoln’s real agenda, being to continue slavery, so he used the Emancipation for that purpose as well.
In the summer of 1862, Lincoln said himself, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.” However this was before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The same summer he said this, the border states had rejected compensated emancipation. This was when he realized that the emancipation of slaves was important. He stressed that emancipation would “strike at the heart of the rebellion.’’
He cared more about the outcome of the war that was fought for the people and the progress being made in order to achieve his main objective of the war – preserve the Union. Once again, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation helped him in his efforts to create stronger central government. Firstly, it encouraged the rising tide of patriotism in American people. Lincoln was “a master of the written and spoken word. ”9
According to Allen Guelzo, Lincoln’s goal was to preserve the Union to be able to introduce emancipation into people’s lives, and to undermine the Confederacy by targeting their labor force and encouraging enslaved individuals to seek freedom by joining the Union with the help of the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln said that “In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free”, what it means is that by granting freedom to enslaved people, the one already free will see their liberty strengthened and thus the Proclamation would provide benefits for everyone. In a 2013 interview Guelzo explained that “There has been a current that wants to reject the image of Lincoln as the Emancipator by questioning whether or not he emancipated the
Literary Analysis Paper “I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be.” -Ernest J. Gaines Gaines is describing the importance of proving to oneself their true limits and defying the standards of others. These themes will be extremely important throughout the novel, A Lesson Before Dying.
He uses negative connotation to describe the evils of the world, such as “war,” “injustice,” and “suffering.” In the next paragraph, he shows that he believes in “man’s capacity for courage and endurance and sacrifice.” These words are complete opposites from one another and shows his thoughts behind and the bias towards the powers that bring injustice compared to the youth that has the capacity to wipe out these tyrannical powers. These sets of words were purposely put together by Faulkner in order to achieve a sense of writing style similar to a pattern. It is evident in multiple occurrences that Faulkner has a consistent writing style he carries throughout the passage.
Lincoln was working hard to connect with peoples' heartstrings so that he could inspire hope for winning the war, reunifying the Union, and ending a big issue at the time- slavery. Lincoln’s speech emphasized the importance of our great task to ensure “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This went down in history as one of the most important and memorable speeches AND one of the most important battles in the Civil
As the class of 1951 from University High School patiently watch the clock tick closer to the next chapter in their life, William Faulkner addresses the class with a small piece of advice, choose to change the world for the better. While these students eagerly await what’s next, Faulkner implements that fear should not drive your intentions by adopting a hopeful tone. In the case of most graduations, everyone from the graduates, to the family members, and the school faculty become over emotional. Knowing this, the author appeals to this sense by continuously using emotions and expressions, such as “baffled and afraid... or frightened or bribed.”
William Faulkner was also the winner of a Nobel Prize and two Pulitzer Prizes. Throughout all of Faulkner’s stories, he is best known for addressing serious topics in the South such as war, racism, mental illnesses, and a slew of other things. Barn Burning is
William Faulkner explores the power of the individual and the grasp of fear. He accomplishes this by giving a extreme but personal example, an atomic bomb hitting oxford . Also he uses historic situations of tyrants throughout history who used the public's’ fear to control them and have them do appalling things. He generalized and said they wanted they wanted to rid everyone of their individuality for the sacrifice of the mass.
Capote loved the life of the social elite and often found himself creating works off of this class, while being surrounded be it. Truman Capote had a difficult time growing up, but he never let that get in the way of following passion. Additionally, Capote was part of a group of authors that were inspired through a whirlwind of events and created great pieces of literature based off of these experiences. At last, Capote became a trailblazer of literature by creating a “nonfiction novel” that had never been seen before. Authors have a great ability to portray their experiences and creativity through great works of
President Lincoln stated that: “if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it,..., and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would do it.”. This quote clearly shows that the freedom of slaves was not his concern and unnecessary if it did not help the Union; as the result, slavery still exists if there is no war. Free slave from bondage should be a Great Emancipator’s primary goal and he will do his best to achieve it no matter what, but president Lincoln’s thought differed from that because all he cares was the Union. Although he had many times admitting himself an anti-slavery but his words and thoughts obviously prove that he is