Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South A
merica, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival. Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this speech.
Which statement best describes Douglass's purpose in this excerpt?
to communicate America’s uniqueness in the world
to provide evidence in support of his claim that freedom is essential to happiness
to reinforce his main argument that slavery opposes the ideals of America
to prove that abuses are common in all parts of the world
To reinforce his main argument that slavery opposes the ideals of America.
Explanation:
One of the objectives of Douglass's speech is to show how America behaves like a hypocrite. This is also expressed in this passage, as Douglass argues that of all countries in the world, America is the most hypocrite. His reasoning is that America claims to be the "land of the free" while at the same time allowing slavery. This shows that slavery is completely opposed to the ideals of America.
