Freedom and Pursuit of Happiness Essay Example

The author says that property was a clear signifier that God was on their side. His theory contradicts Douglass since he says that society comes from God’s contract between God and people. They were also assured of prosperity if they abide by God’ laws and His will. However, the reason why people suffer in slavery is that they subject themselves to another ruler. The black population’s acceptance to become slaves for white people portrayed that they are superior to them. The fact that black people lack the material prosperity compared to the white people means that the white people are politically powerful and wealthy, is a sign from God that the black people are lesser beings. Nevertheless, people have equal rights and should exercise their right to freedom (Robinson 207). The European Americans were more concerned about their political freedom together with the economic independence. Melville talking about Thomas Jefferson says that he never supported slavery, saying that the earth belongs to all living people, and it is wrong to make others suffer because of the debts of the dead. To interpret such a statement, it means that it is a mistake to make people suffer for the mistakes of others. For instance, the slave’s children were made slaves because their parents were slaves.

Douglass and Melville’s views on slavery are the same in that they do not support the fact that some people should make others their slaves. On the other hand, Melville, through Thomas Jefferson’s words, says that he was free only by appearance (Melville 9). The way to solve the problems of our past is to avoid repeating the same mistakes of depriving

people the freedom they deserve. People should not suffer slavery because they are poor and cannot live a wealthy life and have as much political power as the white people. Another way to solve the problems of our past is through assisting the victims of poverty to improve their lives. Melville states that, if those who are slaves stop being slaves, there will be unemployed people in American would cause more trouble than the slaves would, so the best way to keep them occupied is to provide jobs for them but under favorable conditions. Douglas in his views about solving our past problems on slavery says that man is the image of God and should be treated in a fair way. If people put that in mind, then it will be possible for many to forget the harsh past that they were made to experience because of slavery.

Another way to solve past problems regarding slavery is to educate them and give them a chance to do a better job than the unique manual roles that are tiring and tedious. Douglas in Hannah Arendt words says that the Americans ordered that the slaves be sent away from America to their native land after they are freed because they will cause more trouble if they are left jobless in the country. That means the white people granted freedom to the black people so that they can give them the chance to lead an independent life and become developed. Arendt supports that point by saying that the South kept slavery out of its states for fear that people from other nations that were against slavery would undermine their

state which would affect them politically (Arendt 210. In pursuit of happiness, freedom was given to the slaves, so their desires are met and so that they can enjoy their freedom like the other free men.

Douglass says that the best way to solve these problems, which arose through slavery is by appealing to the spirit of patriotism where everyone should treat fellow men like the image of God, and the blessings of God will be upon humankind (Douglas 381). Everybody should also have the political freedom and natural justice regardless of their race. He then says that everybody is entitled to liberty, and he/she is the rightful owner of the body (Douglas 285). Therefore, keeping good relations with fellow men will help solve the past problem of slavery. Morgan and Douglas describe slaves as property but according to them, they should be set free and bestowed the opportunity to live and develop their lives. In his opinion, he meant that those who own slaves should treat them like treasure since they are property. Nevertheless, it is a wrong way to describe humans, and that is why the two authors say that humans should be free. He explained how people need to be social with others and avoid enslaving their fellow men. Douglas bases his argument on the fact that all individuals are created in the image of God and should be given the same treatment. He also says that they deserve to be educated because they will not be any better than slaves unless they are developed which starts with the freedom. He clearly affirms that it is not the plan of God to make

people suffer even if they have a lack of ability to defend themselves and people should not take advantage of their inability.

Cooper and Melville have similar and contrasting views on how to solve the problems caused by the pursuit of happiness. Cooper talks about the life of a frontiersman who was forced by a local landowner to obey new hunting rules. The author speaks of the enduring character of the frontiersman in his learning classes, but he later rebels against the owner. In the pursuit of happiness, the Cooper explains how the hunter then gets allies from the daughter and a young stranger. The author idea of solving the problem is being determined on the goal that is set to be achieved. On the other hand, Melville (p. 81) talks about a man who took on a whale-voyaging journey filled with hardships and challenges to go and search for refuge. The mission is too risky, but that does not stop the sailor from embarking on it.

To solve the problems caused by the pursuit of happiness one has to be courageous to overcome the troubles. That shows how there are many challenges whenever one has made the choice to pursue something good. Both authors speak of the hardships that many black people suffered before attaining the liberty from the white people and on the contrary, how the white people put efforts to overcome their past. In the pursuit of happiness, both Melville and Cooper warn the travelers of the danger ahead, but they are filled with hope. The characters, which the authors talk about it in their books, represent the black people, and the troubles that

they had to endure in the hands of the white people before they are freed. Their journey was aimed at attaining a better life than the one they lived. Comparing the two different stories by Cooper and Melville on the pursuit of happiness, the characters represented in the two articles were filled with hope for a better life at the end of the dangerous journey. In that case, both Cooper and Melville show that hope was a key aspect which was applied by the Americans and the black people in pursuit of happiness.

The two items differ in that in the pioneer, Cooper (n. p) says that the character does not wish to be free is willing to spend more time in the graveyard of his father, that shows that the character is not in a hurry to leave the foreign land to his native land. Instead, he is willing to stay longer, and this may represent the black people who were set free from slavery by the white people but did not want to go back home. In the pursuit of happiness, they chose to remain in the land where they were slaves because it is a land of abundance (Lecture 03). Another similarity in Melville and Cooper in the pursuit of happiness is that they have included spiritual matters saying that the ship will bring voyage (Melville p. 27), while Cooper says, that God is the source of prosperity. We can compare the ship to America the powerful nation, which is peaceful and developed, and for that reason, the other countries depended on it for support (Lecture.03 p. 2). The slaves were leaving their

native land to go to the great country to look for a better living. Melville says that humans are ignorant, and that is a major reason why they suffer (Melville p. 186).

The pursuit of happiness for the black people may have been delayed by their ignorance and for that reason; they became slaves to the white people. After the revolution, the poor people who were flooding Europe and America looking for ways to better their lives and that caused both social and political problems to the residents. America encountered challenges in the pursuit of happiness as people demanded reform together with protection from the government. To solve the problem, the American government required all citizens to submit to the laws that were set and adhere to them. To address the problems caused in the pursuit of happiness the government of America had to listen to the proposals given by its citizen. The lecturer argues that these people who moved in masses to the European countries in search of refuge were a major reason why political success delayed because of their high degree of poverty (Lecture.03 p.2). They depended on the European countries who had its citizens to care about. To solve the problems caused by the pursuit of happiness, they had to accommodate them and share their resources since that was the possible solution.

The black people flooded America after the revolution and expected to be received for they put it upon the Americans that they were the reason they were in that state of poverty for enslaving them as well as restricting them from developing (Lecture.03 p.2). Both America and the European countries were faced

with the problem of increased consumption of resources, which posed the danger of poverty in those nations. Therefore, to solve the problems caused by the pursuit of happiness, America had to aim at high production, which would support both its citizens and the black people who had come to seek for better opportunities in their states. Those who migrated to America thought that it was the best idea since remaining in their native lands, which were politically unstable, was not yielding to any progress. They preferred going through slavery to make a living even if it was filled with challenges than to remain in their homelands and die of poverty. For that reason, America turned out to be the asylum for any young people who were poor and displaced (Lecture.03 p. 5). The numbers increased and to solve that problems, Cooper in his story says that every land that the eye of God shines, there are wise and happy men (Cooper, n. p). Interpreting that statement, America is a country with the favor of God, and that is why it has wise people and is the first nation in the world. Both Melville and Cooper in the pursuit of happiness portray that God is the source of happiness for human beings. America, on the other hand, is a country that has God’s blessings in abundant because they are both politically powerful and is a wealthy country. In that case, they had to endure all the problems that the foreigners bring in their states in pursuit of happiness.

Work Cited

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2. Douglas, Frederick. .My Bondage and my freedom. 1855. Clerk's
   

Office of the District Court of the Northern District of New York. Accessed