The Sublime Oxymoron

In the essay “The Sublime Oxymoron” the author Charles Krauthammer discusses Thomas Jefferson’s contradictions. Krauthammer says that Jefferson will always bother us because on the one hand, Jefferson wants everyone to be independent and equal. On the other hand, he does not respect himself because he has slaves. For Krauthammer, all of these miss the mark because no one can begin to understand a man one hundred percent. For example, we cannot understand Thomas Jefferson because he was extraordinary in his degree, continental and supremely American. In addition, the phrase that Mr. Krauthammer uses to refer to Jefferson’s contradiction is: “Prophet of freedom, owner of slaves.”

            Furthermore, Thomas Jefferson sees Native Americans as a difficult problem, but equal to white men. Moreover, in the essay the author uses a quotation that Honore de Balzac once wrote, “Behind every great fortune there is a crime,” meaning that if you want something that is your right to have it, you have to fight and be furious and take risks to get it. Also, the author gives us a specific example about Jefferson’s contradiction; he claims that Jefferson wanted to do the right thing to the Indians. Nevertheless, Jefferson upheld the white man needed to introduce fear in the Indians or the American experiment would fail. It means that American should have the power and principle. Additionally, Mr. Krauthammer says that Jefferson wrote the most beautiful expressions ever written by someone about human liberty. Additionally, the author says, in contrast to George Washington, father of the U.S.A, Thomas Jefferson will eternally be something to study and try to answer questions about Jefferson’s life. Finally, according to Krauthammer, Thomas Jefferson is someone who people have to understand because he always tried to reach perfection even though he never found it.