Essay about United States Constitution

Submitted By iluvfashion11
Words: 795
Pages: 4

The Unconstitutional Events
The novel “The Help” written by Kathryn Stockett and “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” written by Frederick Douglass provides certain aspects that appear to be unconstitutional. This essay will critique the events in Douglass’s narrative and Stockett’s novel that demonstrate what profound constitutional violations that exist in each. To begin with, the first amendment in the U.S constitution states, “Grants freedom of religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly”, which was violated numerous times throughout “The Help”. “Grants freedom of religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly”, means that American citizens have the right to state their opinion or belief about anyone or anything to whomever. In the novel “The Help”, freedom of speech was violated. The novel “The Help” is about a young white woman, Miss Skeeter, who interviews black women that are maids (known as “the help”) who serve white families; and anonymously publishes a book about it. However the story takes place during the 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi (which is known as one of the most racist states in the country). Indicating that Miss Skeeter had to publish the book anonymously and change the names of the maids, bosses, and the location to ensure safety for her and the help. This is a violation because Miss Skeeter has the right to freedom of speech; however because of the era and where the story took place, Miss Skeeter knew that neither she nor the black women would be safe. Moreover, this leads to the next violation of the first amendment of freedom of speech, which took place when the black women had to be interviewed secretly by Miss Skeeter, to refrain the black women from getting fired, tortured, and killed.
Furthermore, the first amendment in the U.S constitution, “Grants freedom of religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly” was also violated many times throughout, “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”. In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” the freedom of assembly was violated. “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is about Frederick Douglass, who is born into slavery talks about life as a slave and learning that by becoming educated, he became ambitious about escaping to become free and eventually became free. Frederick Douglass, a slave, persuaded other slaves: Henry Harris, John Harris, Henry Bailey and Charles Roberts to run away with him. However they were captured by white men to be taken back to their master so they can be evaluated if the information was true about their plan to run away. Therefore a white woman accused Frederick of being a “devil” and stated that it was Frederick that influenced Henry and John to run away, and if it wasn’t for Frederick, Hnry and John would’ve never ran off. Additionally the freedom of speech was also violated. Slave owners would approach random slaves and ask do the owners treat them well, work them too hard, and are they given enough to eat. And if the answer from the slave is not what the