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During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the African American population still felt the aftermath of slavery through the beliefs and actions of the white societies. During slavery African Americans were dehumanized, looked upon as property, and treated worse than animals. Furthermore, slaves were denied the right to life, forced to work endlessly, and suffered abuse from their masters. However, slavery ended in 1865 and yet Africans are still suffering from the entrapment of society. Paul …

…s Conspiracy in 1800 to Nat Turner in 1831 and many instances that still occur today, African American never stopped fighting or gave up hope. Dunbar’s “Sympathy” evokes compassion in the reader by comparing the image of a caged bird to the life of an African American. The reader finishes the poem feeling a sense of sympathy towards the delicate bird, however, the bird is indeed the perfect comparison to the life of an African American.