At first the people does not bluntly show gratitude to Jim, they treat what he does as his work which does not need gratitude. Later on, they learned that they must thank him for his work even if he gets paid for doing it. They should still show gratitude to him, this boosts his morale and will make him enjoy his work more.
Gates feels that Thomas Jefferson can be aptly named the "midwife" of African American literature because it was he who accused the group of lacking a literature which is symbolic of their civil rights. Thus, in order to prove Jefferson wrong, the blacks began a movement which would lead to the development of a body of literature uniquely theirs. That's why Jefferson can be labeled as a midwife, because he assisted in the birth of African American literature.
A paradox contradicts itself so therefore it would have to be “Well, one must be serious about something, if one wants to have any amusement in life.”
