African Americh Douglass Reaction Paper

Born into a life of slavery, Frederick Douglass overcame a boatload of obstacles in his very accomplished life. While a slave he was able to learn how to read and write, which was the most significant accomplishment in his life. This was significant, not only because it was forbidden for a slave to read due to the slaveholders wanting to keep them ignorant to preserve slavery, but because it was the starting point for Frederick to think more freely and more profound. Frederick Douglass then taught other slaves how to read and write because he believed and taught “Once you learn to read you will be forever free” (Frederick Douglass). This man was an astonishing individual who

After reading a short excerpt about Fredrick Douglass, I learned on how bad slaves were treated. I also understand the criminal nature of slavery and enslavers and he wished to be an animal. Fredrick Douglass recalled learning how to read the text about immorality of slavery. Hugh Auld, a relative of Fredrick Douglass’s master, thought that lessons would make Douglass of unfit for slavery.

Fredrick Douglas was born a slave. In his narrative, Mr. Douglass explains how his mistress took an interest in him. Mrs. Auld would teach Mr. Douglass how to read, but was forbidden to continue by her husband, Mr. Auld. Mr. Auld explained to his wife, teaching a slave to read and write would make him unmanageable and unfit to be a slave. It was at this very moment Frederick Douglas learned whites held slaves back by depriving them of an education and literacy.

Hugh Auld discussed with his wife that teaching a slave to read a write is dangerous " If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell "(Douglas 20) meaning if you teach a slave to read and write he will be more knowledgeable and more curious. Learning would make the slaves more aware of the injustice happening to them and they may potentially challenge the masters. Keeping the slaves ignorant would prevent them from forming ideas. Hugh believed that since it would spoil the slave it would leave the slave to no good use anymore to his master. After some reading and some thinking Douglas finally noticed how bad he and the other slaves were being treated, how bad he was enslaved, and how the other slaves didn't see what Douglass saw " It had even me a view on my wretched condition without a remedy ... In moments of agony I envied my fellow-slavessllaves for their stupidity " ( Douglass 24 ) The slaveholders wanted to keep the slaves ignorant so that they would stay slaves and only focus in the plantation other than what'swhats happening in real life. This was dehumanizing because the slave didn't know they were being treated less than

1. Douglass taught himself how to read and write. At first, Douglass’s mistress taught him how to read the alphabet before her husband prohibited her from doing this. After that he started to teach himself how to read by reading books and newspapers, and how to write by copying his little Master Thomas’s written in the spaces left in the copy-book when his mistress goes to the class meeting every monday afternoon. However his most successfully way of teaching himself how to read was to make friends with the white boys whom he met in the street. He bribes them with food to get them to teach him. He also learned how to read and understand the meaning of the name on the timber.

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass provides the reader with a powerful autobiography, which enables the reader to venture into the life of Frederick Douglass. Douglass shows the reader how the knowledge he obtained was both helpful and harmful by using examples from his life. The key to freedom, for Douglass, was knowledge; however, this knowledge also opened his eyes to the dehumanization slavery caused.

It is from Hugh Auld that Douglass understand this thought information must be the best approach to opportunity, as Auld prohibits his wife to show Douglass how to carefully read and compose because of the fact that instruction ruins slaves. Douglass sees that Auld has

Just as slave holders use ignorance as a tool to perpetuate slavery, Douglass believes that slaves must gain knowledge before going after freedom. After Hugh Auld angrily bans his wife from teaching Douglass how to read and write, Douglass realizes that Auld unintentionally revealed the strategy in which slave holders keep slaves and how slaves can escape and achieve liberation. To free

Initially, Sophia Auld ordained to teach Douglass the very basics of literacy – his ABCs and how to spell a few short words (Douglass 45) – but not long after, Hugh Auld, enraged, puts a stop to his progress. Auld claims that were Douglass to learn to how to read “there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave” (Douglass 45), and his lessons cease promptly; however, the seed of doubt for his master’s power is already planted. Though hardly more than a child, Douglass reaches the conclusion that with literacy comes agency, and subsequently, the ability to gain freedom – something his master feared most vehemently (Douglass 45). The white man’s ability to keep his slaves in the dark about the truths of scripture and rhetoric were the crux of his power, and equipped with new found knowledge of this apparent flaw in the system of slavery, Douglass grows determined to learn how to read by any means available. He resolves to befriend any and all young white boys he encounters on the streets and, in exchange for a bit of bread, asks them to help him on his way to literacy, and through this act of defiance, by the end of his seven years with the Aulds, he is entirely literate (Douglass 50). This emphasis on gaining the ability to read and write is a common theme in male

Mrs. Auld, Douglass’ mistress, begins teaching Douglass his letters and small words, but these lessons are put to an end by Mr. Auld. Douglass overhears Mr. Auld stating that “A slave should know nothing but to obey his master—and to do what he is told to do” (Douglass 2187). That is, the only knowledge that a slave should have is the knowledge of the slaveholder’s power. Mr. Auld adds that if a slave learns how to read, then he is unfit to be a slave (2187). Through this crack of light, Douglass sees the importance of knowing how to read and write.

In The Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave, written by himself the author asserts that the way to enslave someone is to keep them from learning at all. Douglass supports his claim by, first, when Frederick was small he was never able to tell his age or the date, and secondly, they were never allowed to be taught how to read that was something always hidden from him as a young child. The author’s purpose is to inform the reader that as a slave there were so many things they were not allowed to have that we may take for granted, in order to make it very clear that we should not take our education and opportunities for granted. Based on The Life Of Frederick Douglass An American Slave, Douglass is writing for the white people who believed that slavery was right, he wanted to make it very clear that the slaves and Douglass had nothing handed to them.

Douglass lived in the slave times. It was illegal to a slave to read and write. Any slave caught reading or writing would be severely punished or even killed. Slave owners felt that if they learn they will soon rebel and start to fight back. Douglass even grew up not even knowing his own age. His master’s wife is what

For about seven years Fredrick Douglass was a slave owned by Master Hugh. While he was with the Hugh family, Mistress Hugh felt he needed to learn to read. She didn’t want anyone else to teach him and she took it upon herself to do so. Mistress Hugh didn’t know that it was not appropriate to teach slaves to learn to read and write. She was a kind and gentle person who only to help. It wasn’t long before Master Hugh told Mistress Hugh that wasn’t the way to treat slaves and to stop teaching him. She listened to her husband and stopped. By this time it was too late, Fredrick had already learned to read. Mistress Hugh saw him reading the newspaper and snatched it from him. She had taught him the alphabet, which was the first step in learning

Douglass decides to continue learning to read even after Mrs. Auld is forbidden from teaching him. At one point Douglass states that “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. [...] As I read and contemplated the subject, behold! That very

Reading opened his eyes to his “wretched condition” (2057) and he longed for independence and freedom. He did not desire this for himself alone, but also for his fellow slaves. He “imbue[d] their minds with thoughts of freedom” and sought to “impress them with the gross fraud and inhumanity of slavery” (2077). Douglass took the lead in devising the plans of escape; his skill in reading and writing was instrumental in his plans. While at Master Hugh’s, Douglass acquired the copy-books of his master’s son, Thomas. He taught himself to write and soon “could write a hand very similar to that of Master Thomas” (2059). This ability helped Douglass to formulate the plan of escape from Mr. Hamilton. He wrote several “protections” for himself and the other runaways under the name of Mr. Hamilton’s. Though this escape attempt was unsuccessful, it is a testimony to the Douglass’ genius which would not have existed without his education. His ability to read and write planted the desire for freedom and enabled him to attempt to achieve it.