2 thoughts on “M. NourbeSe Philip “Discourse on the Logic of Language””
“The narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass” and “Discourse on the logic of language” are both very compelling pieces on the topic of slavery that touch upon some of the pain involved in slavery. The poem “Discourse…” focuses on the strife and friction caused by the conflicts of language, Fredrick Douglass compliments the poem and adds context to that strife.
“Discourse on the logic of language” repeats often the difference between a mother tongue and a father tongue, a father tongue is a foreign tongue, a foreign anguish, whereas a mother tongue is a native tongue. “English is my father tongue… English is my mother tongue…” there is a contradiction made and repeated throughout the poem that English is both their native tongue, a foreign language, and their anguish. The poem also talks at length about brief interactions between a new born child and her mother, about a desperate attempt to give to her the language of her mother, her breath, her tongue.
Frederick Douglass and his narrative compliment this poem and fill in the blanks very well, giving us an insight into the lives of slaves and their views on language and the anguish of their lives. The anguish that brought them to these foreign lands that they call home, that breaks the bonds between a daughter and mother, between a son and his mother. Such that Fredrick Douglass even writes “…received tidings of her death (his mother’s) with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” In the next paragraph he talks about how his father is unknown to him, but that it was said to be his master. A white man, a foreign man. “…such slaves invariably suffer greater hardships…” their father enforcing the cruelties pushed onto them and their masters wife being one who inflicts her disdain onto them as well.
This process and situation existed intentionally, serving as a means of making rebellions more difficult, and as a means to further dehumanize the slaves. To the white men controlling the situation, the less human the slaves are the easier it is for them to justify slavery. That attempt to justify slavery, to dehumanize slaves, is perhaps the greatest sin, the most damaging one at least to everyone, everyone. It dehumanized everyone.
M. NourbeSe Philip’s recital of “Discourse on the Logic of Language” centers on just how powerful a tool language is, especially when applied to the topic of Slavery in America. Frederick Douglass’ “A Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass” shows readers the outcome of withholding language and communication from the slaves. They are dehumanized, beaten, tortured and killed. All for the purpose of supposedly stopping them from rebelling and keeping them in their place as subservient beings to their white masters. The poem repeats over and over that the individual has no mother tongue, just a father tongue, being English. That English is a foreign language, and a foreign anguish. Slaves were torn from their native lands in Africa and brought over to the United States forcibly. English was applied to them because it was the law of the land. They simply never knew where they had come from or what their native language had been.
The two edicts spoken about in the poem dictate how to suppress language from the slaves. This can be related to how Douglass was prohibited from learning to read and write. To slave owners and advocates of slavery, once slaves learned to communicate effectively they could no longer be controlled and became rebellious elements. They could rise up against their former masters and kill them. This did not stop Douglass from learning to read and write, as well as speak in a manner that made him a force in public speech. Both works highlight speech as an effective tool that although can be taken away by force, can be returned with hard work, determination and a zealous spirit dedicated to breaking the bonds of slavery and dominance.
“The narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass” and “Discourse on the logic of language” are both very compelling pieces on the topic of slavery that touch upon some of the pain involved in slavery. The poem “Discourse…” focuses on the strife and friction caused by the conflicts of language, Fredrick Douglass compliments the poem and adds context to that strife.
“Discourse on the logic of language” repeats often the difference between a mother tongue and a father tongue, a father tongue is a foreign tongue, a foreign anguish, whereas a mother tongue is a native tongue. “English is my father tongue… English is my mother tongue…” there is a contradiction made and repeated throughout the poem that English is both their native tongue, a foreign language, and their anguish. The poem also talks at length about brief interactions between a new born child and her mother, about a desperate attempt to give to her the language of her mother, her breath, her tongue.
Frederick Douglass and his narrative compliment this poem and fill in the blanks very well, giving us an insight into the lives of slaves and their views on language and the anguish of their lives. The anguish that brought them to these foreign lands that they call home, that breaks the bonds between a daughter and mother, between a son and his mother. Such that Fredrick Douglass even writes “…received tidings of her death (his mother’s) with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” In the next paragraph he talks about how his father is unknown to him, but that it was said to be his master. A white man, a foreign man. “…such slaves invariably suffer greater hardships…” their father enforcing the cruelties pushed onto them and their masters wife being one who inflicts her disdain onto them as well.
This process and situation existed intentionally, serving as a means of making rebellions more difficult, and as a means to further dehumanize the slaves. To the white men controlling the situation, the less human the slaves are the easier it is for them to justify slavery. That attempt to justify slavery, to dehumanize slaves, is perhaps the greatest sin, the most damaging one at least to everyone, everyone. It dehumanized everyone.
M. NourbeSe Philip’s recital of “Discourse on the Logic of Language” centers on just how powerful a tool language is, especially when applied to the topic of Slavery in America. Frederick Douglass’ “A Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass” shows readers the outcome of withholding language and communication from the slaves. They are dehumanized, beaten, tortured and killed. All for the purpose of supposedly stopping them from rebelling and keeping them in their place as subservient beings to their white masters. The poem repeats over and over that the individual has no mother tongue, just a father tongue, being English. That English is a foreign language, and a foreign anguish. Slaves were torn from their native lands in Africa and brought over to the United States forcibly. English was applied to them because it was the law of the land. They simply never knew where they had come from or what their native language had been.
The two edicts spoken about in the poem dictate how to suppress language from the slaves. This can be related to how Douglass was prohibited from learning to read and write. To slave owners and advocates of slavery, once slaves learned to communicate effectively they could no longer be controlled and became rebellious elements. They could rise up against their former masters and kill them. This did not stop Douglass from learning to read and write, as well as speak in a manner that made him a force in public speech. Both works highlight speech as an effective tool that although can be taken away by force, can be returned with hard work, determination and a zealous spirit dedicated to breaking the bonds of slavery and dominance.