Blessings Of Liberty And Education By Frederick Douglass

The power of education was also a key argument in “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, but it was not an argument with a consistent meaning. Although Frederick Douglass believes that the only way to freedom for him and his fellow slaves, is through learning how to build on. At the same time Douglass is disgusted with education because it lets him know and fully understand the extent and horrors of slavery. Later, he finds out that while the conditions are slightly better there is still a great deal of injustice. He then begins to think getting his education could be his way to liberty and freedom and though he endeavors to learn much as he can, he starts to doubt whether he is correct or not. He then state “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out” (47). In the end, these elements of freedom-becoming educated-led to his last act of rebellion, which he thought would bring him freedom. H e engages in a fight with his master. He can no longer stand his new sense of education and knowledge. He states “This battle with Mr.

Throughout the history of slavery in the United States, it was common practice not only for slaveholders to neglect to teach their slaves to read or write, but also for them to outright forbid literacy among slaves. This was done in order to limit the slaves knowledge and modes of communication, making it more difficult for them to learn about the abolitionist movement or for for them to share their situation with the world outside of slavery. Like many other slaves, Frederick Douglass was not allowed to learn to read or write. In his autobiography; “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass retells how he managed to become literate in a time where most African Americans were forbidden from literacy, and how this knowledge allowed him to eventually escape slavery.

     Although Douglass’ desire to develop the mind was strong, he didn’t always have it. It wasn’t until Mr. Auld had chastised Mrs. Auld for teaching him the alphabets that he really felt the aspiration to read. Douglass said, “That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully

Douglass's new master is a kind lady named Mrs. Auld. At first, Douglass does not know how to behave around her. He has been taught to speak to his master in a mean, rough way, and he gets in trouble when he does speak like this. Mrs. Auld starts teaching Douglass how to read but soon gets stopped by Mr. Auld since it's illegal to teach a slave. Not really been interested in learning before, now that he is not able to he wants to do it more than ever. He realizes that a slave untaught is the only way to keep it a slave. Douglass sees education as a new light, if he can learn to read, he won't have to be a slave anymore.

Douglass says, “Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read” (20). Douglass is explaining that he was not afraid of anything he just want to learn, it was his courage and dedication to learn which lead him to be free. Kelly Rothenberg in her article, “Frederick Douglass’ Narrative and the subtext of folklore”, she make the comparison of Douglass revival from an illiterate slave to a literate slave. She writes, “Instead of sticking to his folk group, he begins adopting a new one, the White folk group.

When a person thinks of education, he/she thinks of something they get as a kid growing up. It is something they choose to do, something that is fun, something they use to earn social status and more money. But what if it was something that was required to survive? What if learning to read or write was a death sentence instead of an asset? What if education led to something better or something much worst? Reading, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass; highlights key points about slavery, religion, and education. It focuses on the struggles of illiteracy in slaves and how it was used as a mechanism for management and restraint. Douglass proves how education empowers and instills strength in himself as well as other slaves to escape and realize their self-worth. The literature talks about Douglass’ beginnings, his road to education, and his escape to the north as an educated man. Douglass also sheds light on slavery and how slaves were treated and how they were manipulated and controlled by their very own ignorance. In The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, Slave owners and distributors treated slaves like livestock, kept them in line by the use of religion and brutality, and made sure they stayed ignorant and uneducated to the slave industry 's benefit. Slaves were nothing more than property; sometimes treated worse than animals.

This knowledge was taken, one out of many rights that were, still the major one that was taken was the right of having a proper education. What Douglass took most to heart was his lack of a proper education which in his younger years he didn’t know would lead him to a greater chance of becoming free. Still his mistress in Baltimore help him establish his first understanding of how to read and write. Education was one of Frederick Douglass’s most wanted need to behold and in beholding it meant that his real want was freedom. The mere fact of knowing how to spell his name was what lead to his strive for later other educational wants.

He doesn’t want to continue as what others expect of him, he wants to take charge of his own life, and he knows the path to do it—through literacy: “From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it” (Douglass 410). Douglass also knows how the effects of literacy, with the language of words and writing, can further his thinking, and he is able to make distinctions with a certain awareness of things, which leads to the creation of his own identity.

In the 1800’s, one could not find many slaves who knew how to read or write. This was because many educated white men owned slaves and would not allow them to learn. By doing this, the slave owners felt like they were taking away their human rights, and in this period, slaves were not thought of as humans. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, there is a common theme throughout the book on the importance of education. Douglass was a slave for a good portion of his life, but he learned to read and write. He makes it obvious that his path to freedom is by learning these two skills, and if he wanted to help free other slaves, they needed to learn these skills as well. While showing that education is very important, Douglass also shows some disgust towards education because he begins to read about slavery. There is a paradox in this narrative, and that is that even though we know education makes Douglass more miserable in the short term, his desire to learn makes him happy in the long term. A paradox has two definitions but the one that fits this situation the most is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.” I believe that throughout this narrative, Frederick Douglass shows that education is his driving force to freedom.

Auld: “...[Mrs. Auld] very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C.” He began learning to write until Mr. Auld forbade Mrs. Auld from continuing to teach Douglass and while at first this upset Douglass, it only emphasized to him why slaves were to remain ignorant and uneducated. He recalls hearing Mr. Auld’s words to Mrs. Auld and remembers the revelation he came to after hearing his words, writing, “I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty-to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. . . . From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom” (ch. VI). This, for Douglass, was when he finally realized that his journey of becoming educated would bring more to him than just the fulfilment of education, but the power of that of the white

In his autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass describes in detail the hardships and unjust acts that were imposed upon African American slaves. In the narrative, Douglass communicates that reading and writing are the fundamental keys to obtaining freedom, understanding, and becoming self-aware. Most slaves were illiterate and had limited knowledge of the injustices that they faced. Douglass’ intelligence was significant due to the fact that he realized much about the world that his fellow slaves did not. Douglass asserts his argument by explaining in detail what privations him and other slaves around him faced. Through the use of ethical, pathetic, and logical appeals, Douglass argues that literacy is one of the few abilities that can break the barrier of ignorance. His argument is significant due to the fact that it communicates the concept that education is a step towards liberation from oppression and prejudices. Furthermore, Douglass proposes change for society and racism in his era and for future generations.

Frederick Douglass believed that all people should be created equal, but he also believed that people are not born free to make themselves into who we want to be. Meaning we are all born with different appearances which enable people of color to “succeed.” For that reason, literacy is an important factor of education and liberation, although the color of his skin defined the person who he was supposed to become he did not make that as an excuse of liberating. Literacy is and was an important factor regarding individuals’ education; we can read, learn, and communicate ideas with each other. Douglass was exposed to a new world of knowledge and opportunity by realizing education ruined the lives of slaves by being expose to facts that seem crucial and impossible. It enhances on their intelligence and the realization to the injustices surrounding them. Douglass liberation became a new world of enhancing knowledge and realization. It linked the definitions of truth when he transforms from a slave to freeman by being tolerated with judgements, common values, and apprehension therefore, literacy is as important as he makes it seem.

When Douglass was a boy he was taught how to read about the immoral of a slave by Hugh Auld. A relative of the Enslaver. Sense Douglass was an slave is master thought it was unfit for him to learn how to read. His master told Hugh not to teach Douglass anymore but

Douglass' achievements were not without setbacks and/or difficulties. In working towards literacy, his master withheld knowledge of reading and writing forcing him to learn these in unconventional ways. He tricked the neighborhood boys into showing him how to write and spell words in the dirt. He also secretly read newspapers and other texts. These setbacks only impressed upon him his necessity to become literate. If his master worked so hard to keep him from learning, then there must have been a great benefit for Douglass that his master was not vocalizing. He felt an absolute need to

Douglass learned from his slaveholder Mr. Auld that education would lead to a slave having no value to his holder. He then realized the power of education and sought to seek it. It was this instance that he realized the education