The Eagle as a Symbol

In the sermon The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest Franklin uses the eagle as a symbol. My impression of the symbol was that the eagle represented the black population on they were being kept inside of society’s cage. The eagle is a symbol of strength and freedom, and the fact the eagle is kept in a cage is contradictory. The bigger the eagle got, the cage just kept getting bigger. The people where trying to keep the eagle inside of the cage no matter how big it got. To me this meant that society was trying to keep an upper hand and control the black community. The more the blacks tried to peruse their liberties, the more society tried to condemn them. I also think that Franklin uses the eagle because they represent freedom; however it cannot be free inside of a cage. I believe that this was meant to demonstrate how although blacks are free and supposed to treat as equals, in reality they are not. The blacks are free; however they are trapped inside of society’s cage. Also eagles represent strength, and determination, which is one of the many reasons the black population eventually over came society’s prejudice and treatment (cage). That is why I think Franklin decided to use an eagle instead of another bird such as a crow, or a chicken.