Final answer:
The themes in Frances Harper's "Bury Me in a Free Land" focus on the desire for freedom and justice, aligning with Henry David Thoreau's condemnation of governmental and social oppression. Both literary works express the importance of autonomy and criticize societal constructs that prevent individual liberty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The poem "Bury Me in a Free Land" by Frances Harper grapples with profound themes of freedom and the abhorrence of slavery, as the speaker reflects upon the wish to not be buried in a land where bondage is a reality. Harper's emotive verse deeply addresses the desire for a just society that does not tolerate the inhumanity of slavery. As a forerunner to the African-American literary canon, Harper’s work underscores the intrinsic value of liberty, epitomized by the right to exist in a space unmarred by the shackles of forced servitude. Crucially, her poem echoes the yearnings of individuals throughout history, similar to those voiced by Thoreau, to live free of undue governmental and societal constraints.
The two main themes of autonomy and justice derive from a historical context of oppressive social constructs, sharing conceptual space with the ideals of Henry David Thoreau's 'Two Freedoms' as analyzed in the essay by Alex Jones. Like Harper, Thoreau valued personal liberty, castigating governmental oppression in 'On the Duty of Civil Disobedience' and societal manacles in 'Walden; or Life in the Woods'. Both express criticism of societal norms and structures that hinder individual freedom and pose philosophical questions on the inherent right to self-determination and the ethical imperatives of living in a free society.