The Analysis Essay of the Atlanta Exposition Address

Logan Ho

Teacher Michael Crachiolo

AP English Language and Composition

21 October 2016

             The Analysis Essay of The Atlanta Exposition Address

In 1895, 30 years after the end of Civil War, a historic agreement serving to the revival of American economy was reached—the Atlanta compromise, proposed by Booker T. Washington (The journal, January9)^[1]*. In terms of how Washington strived for such a revolutionary agreement from which Blacks had the right to participate in Whites’ commerce and economy, we have to trace back to his robust speech addressed in 1895. As a dominant leader in the African American community, Booker T. Washington, in his speech, The Atlanta Exposition Address, advocates to his white audience for their engaging Blacks in the America’s economy and commerce. Washington primarily employs vivid comparisons and parallel structure in order to highlight the reciprocal benefit between these two races.

Washington utilizes comparisons, such as metaphor and simile, to intrigue the listeners and illuminate the benefits of cooperation between Blacks and Whites. Washington repeats the phrase “cast down your bucket where you are” throughout his speech. Initially, this phrase appears in a story about a lost ship in the Amazon River. The fact is that the river is drinkable but the captain did not realize. Then Washington repeats the phrase and renews its meanings with the use of metaphor. Though being in front of his white audience, he seemingly appeals to his fellow African Americans to “cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.” Here, he compares Blacks’ hope to better the living condition to the bucket for water and Whites to the friendly vessel. By visualizing Blacks’ hope and humbly praising Whites, he vividly and clearly informing Whites the African Americans’ willingness to engage in America’s economy in pursuit of a better condition. (418). To the white race, similarly, he asks them to “cast it down among the eight millions of African Americans whose habits you know” (418). Here, he compares their need for employees to the bucket for fresh water and Blacks to the friendly vessel. In this way, he asks Whites not merely to save jobs and employments for the foreigners, but also to hire African Americans, whom they are more familiar with. Hence, the metaphor presents to the audience the benefits of racial cooperation, especially the benefits for Whites to hire African Americans. What’s more, he clarifies the relationship between these two races with a simile: “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (419).Here, he compares the gap between Blacks and white to that between fingers of one hand. Although he concedes the existence of the racial segregation, he points out that if both races make joint efforts in the rebuild of American economy, they can make far more progresses. When both races are separated, their power is weak like fingers; but when both races cooperate, their power is strong like a fist. This simile promotes joint efforts made by both race to reinvigorate the US’s economy, instead of focusing on racial segregation at issue. In other words, he is asking Whites to engage African Americans in national economy.