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I was intrigued by how different defiance and persuasion can look from different authors, different time periods, and different perspectives.

Anne Bradstreet’s “The Prologue” immediately inspired me toward analyzing defiance in writing: she’s defiant and placating at once, persuading her audience through humble and self-deprecating tactics. While being a bit frustrating to read from a modern lens, I find this technique brilliant when considering her audience, who would not otherwise have been very receptive towards her topic. She had to appeal toward the ego and vanity of the men from her time, in order to get them to listen and consider whether they would allow women to write.

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Bradstreet, "The Prologue", 1650 (A-213)

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Bradstreet, "The Prologue", 1650 (A-213)

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5

"I am obnoxious to each carping tongue

Who says my hand a needle better fits,

A poet's pet all scorn I should thus wrong,

For such despite they cast on female wits:

If what I do prove well, it won't advance,

They'll say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance."

8

"And oh ye high flown quills that soar the skies,

And ever with your prey still catch your praise,

If e'er you diegn these lowly lines with your eyes

Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays;

This mean and unrefined ore of mine

Will make your glist'ring gold but more to shine."

(Bradstreet 213)

Analysis:

Here, Bradstreet is using a humble kind of defiance to push back against what society expects from her and other women of her time. Women from this time period were not to be authors; they were seen as intellectual inferiors to men. It was seen as nearly sinful for women to take up writing, but in "The Prologue," Bradstreet grapples with her pull towards it despite being told it was wrong.

This excerpt is humble in its defiance as it maintains men's excellence over women ("This mean and unrefined ore of mine, Will make your glist'ring gold but more to shine"), while still pushing for a modest degree of recognition ("Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays"). She also challenges gendered expectations from her time more directly in the opening lines of the fifth stanza: "I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, Who says my hand a needle better fits."

Through a gentle sort of defiance, Bradstreet attempts to persuade her audience that women's merit in writing is not a threat to men's writing. This persuasive technique remains relevant today, as it demonstrates how defiance can take gentler forms while still being effective. Additionally, despite the progress we've made, women's authority and intellect continue to be challenged and dismissed by men.

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(Cassatt)

I chose the painting by Cassatt of a woman reading, as I feel it tied well to Bradstreet’s “The Prologue.” Reading was once seen as a more masculine hobby, with women not being seen as having the intellect to understand books of religion, poetry, and philosophy.

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Adams, Abigail. “Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March 1776.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 590-591.

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Bradstreet, Anne. “The Prologue.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 213-214.

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Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine, 10th ed., vol. B, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 1068-1133.

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Douglass, Frederick. “What to the Salve is the Fourth of July?” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine, 10th ed., vol. B, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 1144-1147.

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Equiano, Olaudah. “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African, Written by Himself.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 651-695.

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Jacobs, Harriet. “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine, 10th ed., vol. B, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 861-909.

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Occom, "A Short Narrative of My Life", 1768 (A-528)

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Occom, "A Short Narrative of My Life", 1768 (A-528)

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"So I am ready to Say, they have used me thus, because I Can't Influence the Indians so well as other missionaries; but I can assure them I have endeavoured to teach them as well as I know how:— but I must Say, "I believe it is because I am a poor Indian". I Can't help that God has made me So; I did not make my self so."

(Occom 528)

Analysis:

Here, Occom defiantly states that other missionaries are treating him unequally, not because of a difference in his quality of work, but "because I am a poor Indian." He is asserting that the unequal access to payment and opportunity between him and another missionary results not from a difference in competence but as a result of racial prejudice.

He also states, "I have endeavoured to teach them as well as I know how," challenging stereotypes and prejudice of the time that Native Americans were less hard-working, capable, or diligent than their white peers. He also pushes back against the projected shame of his identity as an indigenous man, declaring, "I Can't help that God has made me So; I did not make my self so."

With this, he reframes his indigenous identity as something assigned to him by God, aligning himself and other native americans as just as Christian as white Christians. In this excerpt, Occom demonstrates defiance against the assumed superiority of white missionaries and draws attention to the inequitable treatment he receives compared to another white missionary.

Minorities today are still shut out of high-paying positions and those of prestige. They still face inequities in payments and access to upwards momentum in society, and are judged as less competent for the same quality of work as their peers. To me, this quote demonstrates a defiance sense of self-worth, an acknowledgment from Occom that he is being treated unfairly despite his honest contributions.

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(Crowe)

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“Whitefield preaching in Moorfields.” A.D. 1742, by E. Crowe, in the exhibition of the Royal Academy.--See page 70 - NYPL Digital Collections

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NYPL’s Digital Collections is a living database featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, video, and more unique research materials.

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Jefferson, "Notes on the State of Virginia", 1782 (A-636)

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Jefferson, "Notes on the State of Virginia", 1782 (A-636)

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"But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

(Jefferson 636)

Analysis:

In this passage, Jefferson asserts defiance against religious coercion or the state's authority over the religious beliefs of its people. His statement that the "powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others" advocates for a separation between church and state and went against the common expectation of his time. He is promoting individual freedom in his insistence that it does "no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god." He is pushing for tolerance, at least for those he deems worthy (which would have excluded many minority groups). Jefferson's persuasive technique here is direct and rational.

This excerpt stood out to me, as some of the topics he discussed are resurfacing today. We're experiencing another wave of religion attempting to creep back into our government and educational systems, as well as intolerance towards ideals or identities not deemed acceptable by those in power.

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(Wellcome Collection)

I included the image of Whitefield preaching in the Moorfields, as while this isn’t an American image it is a significant one, representing conversion and the spread of Christianity, though in this instance a more positive sharing of religion and faith. Alternatively, the piece depicting John Wesley preaching to native americans is a more problematic portrayal. There is less autonomy in the crowd Wesley is preaching to, with the undertones feeling more like condescension and superiority from Wesley and other white preachers who wanted to convert, but not respect indigenous people, who they considered “savages.”

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(Barber)

I found this engraving powerful and thought-provoking, as to me it represents the idea of “you can enslave my body, but you can’t put chains on my soul.” The man in engraving looks powerful and strong, resilient and at peace despite the white hands pulling him downwards.

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Equiano, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African, Written by Himself", 1789 (A-694-695)

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Equiano, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African, Written by Himself", 1789 (A-694-695)

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"Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, are practiced upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, thumbscrews, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other instruments of torture used in the slave trade.)"

(Equiano 694-695)

Analysis:

Equiano demonstrates defiance against the brutality and violence of slavery in this excerpt, pointing out torture and barbarity exercised against enslaved people with "impunity", or without consequences against the perpetrators of these unimaginable acts of cruelty. He advocates for the abolition of the slave trade, asserting, "I pray it may be an event at hand." Here, he presents both spiritual and practical arguments for this abolition, specifically with an audience of manufacturers in mind, whom he believes have the power to "considerably facilitate and expedite" the abolition.

He addresses what many of the time saw as the most pressing matter concerning the slave trade: profit. He argues that the abolition of the slave trade would help rather than hurt the economy, thus dismantling the heart of pro-slavery arguments.

Additionally, his vivid and disturbing descriptions of the tools used to torture enslaved people are a daring moral critique of those involved in the manufacturing of these products.

This excerpt remains relevant today, as manufacturers and industries still benefit from the exploitation and abuse of others. Workers, particularly minority workers, are exploited for their labor, which exhausts and depletes their energy. Others benefit from exploitation by receiving an excess, more than they need, at the expense of those who receive less than they need.

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(Brooke and Starling)

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"Revelation when applied to religion, means something communicated immediately from God to man.

No one will deny or dispute the power of the Almighty to make such a communication if He pleases. But admitting, for the sake of a case, that something has been revealed to a certain person, and not revealed to any other person, it is revelation to that person only. When he tells it to a second person, a second to a third, a third to a fourth, and so on, it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons. It is a revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other, and, consequently, they are not obliged to believe it... I have no other authority for it than some historian telling me so, the commandments carrying no internal evidence of divinity within them."

(Paine 615)

Analysis:

Paine takes Jefferson's argument about religion as a personal matter, as opposed to a universal one, a step further. While Jefferson's excerpt focused on rejecting the government's enforcement of religion, Paine pushes back against revelation and the authority of religious texts in statements such as "it is a revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other." He focuses on reason and rational critique. His excerpt focuses on autonomy and individual belief. He argues that one must work with only what they have experienced and can build their beliefs only on evidence they have personally acquired.

As we learned in the biographical portion of his life in the textbook, this made him rather unpopular at the time. Many did not like what they perceived as his atheistic perspective. I would argue that, rather than being atheistic, his argument is instead focused more on personal experience with religion and a resistance against religious authority. To me, this excerpt maintains its relevance through the continued importance of critically examining authority figures, particularly those with political influence. It's important to investigate figures and claims, and not take things at face value, even if they may be popularly accepted.

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Adams, "Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March 1776" (A-591)

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Adams, "Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March 1776" (A-591)

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"...and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power in the hands of Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

That your Sex is Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend."

(Adams 591)

Analysis:

In this excerpt, Abigail Adams is cleverly defiant. She does something similiar to what Douglass does in "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?": points out the hypocrisy of men from the time who, while advocating for their own freedom, are tyrannical in their oppression of others. Adams asserts that ladies "will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation." This echoes the same arguments made against British rule of that time.

She appeals to her husband to "Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors." This is a call for fairness, a direct address of past injustices against her sex by men who, when given unchecked power, become tyrants. She also, perhaps playfully, threatens rebellion. Towards the end of the excerpt, her tone takes a gentler tone, where she prompts John Adams to "give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend." This is a new manner of persuasion in this section, where she transitions from a playful tone to a more somber one, employing every persuasive tool she can think of to convince her husband to "Remember the Ladies."

I chose this passage because I feel it maintains its relevance through continued concerns about power and representation in government. While women have legal protections today, there are still groups who do not. Additionally, I would argue that there is still a way to go in terms of women's equality, particularly in terms of pay and positions of power.

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Jefferson, Thomas. “Notes on the State of Virginia.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 629-639.

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Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", 1852 (B-1145)

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Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", 1852 (B-1145)

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"What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham... your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, hypocrisy— a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour."

(Douglass 1145)

Analysis:

Here, Douglass exercises a more direct and confrontational defiance than we've seen in the other excerpts thus far. In "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", he rejects the expectation of waiting patiently for change or having to gently or kindly resist oppression. He refuses to soften his words to make his oppressors feel better about torturing and abusing him. Instead, he points out the hypocrisy of Americans ideals of freedom and the Fourth of July holiday. How can a country be free when so many are oppressed? How can he be expected to celebrate when so many are still in chains, brutalized, and murdered? He refuses to accept the hypocritical chants of the freedom and glory of the states, and directly challenges these in his speech.

His words are cutting and urgent- he calls out the actions of white slave masters for what they are: "savage". This excerpt remains relevant as there is still a huge rift between the preached ideals of our country and the lived reality of many of its inhabitants. We still claim freedom and prosperity for Americans, but is this universally experienced across the nation? Who prospers? Whose free?

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Occom, Samson. “A Short Narrative of My Life.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 523-528.

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Douglass, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself", 1845 (B-1132)

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Douglass, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself", 1845 (B-1132)

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"Come, saints and sinners, hear me tell

How pious priests whip Jack and Nell,

And women buy and children sell,

And preach all sinners down to hell,

And sing of heavenly union."

(Douglass 1132)

Analysis:

Douglass again defies against hypocrisy in this excerpt, this time against the hypocrisy of white Christians who preach against sin, vice, or cruelty while brutalizing and abusing those they enslave, or standing idly by, complacent as others do so. Like Paine, he also challenges religious authority, this time targeting religious figures who are active or complacent in the violence and exploitation enacted against enslaved people, as depicted in the line: "How pious priests whip Jack and Nell."

In this poem, Douglass reframes this subset of Christians as perpetrators of violence and cruelty as opposed to saviors. He contrasts religious concepts, such as saints and heavenly union, with the horrors of slavery, such as the buying, selling, and whipping of enslaved people. Douglass pushes toward accountability, equality, and justice through satire. His poem is rhythmic and powerful, providing an example of how advocacy can take many different forms to capture and persuade an audience.

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Paine, Thomas. “The Age of Reason.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine and Sandra M. Gustafson, 10th ed., vol. A, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 613-620.

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(Jacobs)

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Jacobs, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", 1861 (B-881)

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Jacobs, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", 1861 (B-881)

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"... O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by the law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another. You never exhausted your ingenuity in avoiding the snares, and eluding the power of a hated tyrant; you never shuddered at the sound of his footsteps, and trembled within hearing of his voice. I know I did wrong. No one can feel it more sensibly than I do. The painful and humiliating memory will haunt me to my dying day. Still, in looking back, calmly, on the events of my life, I feel that the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standard as others."

(Jacobs 881)

Analysis:

In this excerpt, Harriet Jacobs addresses the particular cruelties that enslaved women experienced. She is pushing back against both the injustice of slavery but also the injustices faced by enslaved women, who not only experienced what it was to be property in terms of labor, but also what it was to be unprotected at the receiving end of sexual harassment, or "to be entirely unprotected by the law or custom."

She describes the shame she feels for her violation of what was expected from virtuous women of the time (" I know I did wrong"), while also asserting that "the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standard as others." In this, she is addressing how enslaved women act in these circumstances out of distress, out of fear for their own safety as a result of being on the receiving end of violence, harassment, and oppression. She movingly describes how she "shuddered at the sound of his footsteps, and trembled within hearing of his voice." Here, Jacobs is defiant against carrying the shame of actions that were forced upon her by a cruel and tyrannical slave master.

Violence against women and blaming women for the violence enacted against them is still prevalent today. This excerpt highlights the importance of empathy, understanding, and context, as well as a shift away from black-and-white moral judgments. Minorities are still blamed for actions taken under duress or out of self-preservation. Jacobs encourages us to move beyond this.

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Barber, Jamaal. To Be Free. 2017. Atlanta Magazine, www.atlantamagazine.com/list/race-atlanta/seven-works-art-explore-race-america/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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Brooke, William Henry, and James M. Starling. Sale of Estates, Pictures, and Slaves in the Rotunda, New Orleans. 1842. Engraving. The Historic New Orleans Collection, https://hnoc.org/virtual-exhibitions/purchased-lives/new-orleans-slave-market-south.

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Cassatt, Mary. The Reader. 1877. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. https://crystalbridges.org/blog/the-last-laugh-suffragettes-and-mary-cassatt/

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Crowe, Eyre. Whitefield Preaching in Moorfields. 1742. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library Digital Collections, 1853, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c9eddb90-f5a1-0131-80f8-58d385a7bbd0. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Cover image. Washington Square Press, 2003. Givens Foundation Edition.

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John Wesley Preaching to Native American Indians. Engraving. Wellcome Collection, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Wesley_preaching_to_native_American_Indians._Engraving._Wellcome_V0006867.jpg. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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a passion for change

a desire to persuade others of the need for this change

a level of anger about unequal treatment in a specific area (such as gender, race, or religion.)

To me, this suggests that fundamentally, early Americans were not so different from modern Americans. People back then were just as angry about the atrocities taking place as we are now. Now, we judge early Americans for their cruelty, brutality, and the hate they showed for oppressed groups. However, these texts have taught me that there were people back then who were angry and appalled by these cruelties and defied them, using writing as a means to try to persuade others. Just as today, there is still cruel and unjust treatment in America and outside of it that we defy against, which can also be done through writing.

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The genre of the commonplace book helps us:

process

reflect

record passages/ quotes that stand out to us, whether this is because they resonate with us, make us think about something in a new light, or inspire us to create content of our own.

Act as records for our future selves, as well as future viewers who may stumble across our commonplace books in some format.

21st-century platforms that stand out to me:

Pinterest and Tumblr

Journals (Book/Reading Journal Resurgence)- I really like this idea, as it feels more personal and intimate than social media blogs or boards. I think this type of Commonplace book would be a lot more exciting to stumble across in the future.