Explain The Difficulties And Obstacles Faced By Frederick Douglass

Initially, Douglass’s slave owner, Mrs. Auld thinks there is nothing wrong with Douglass reading and of her own free will teaches him herself. The author writes “My mistress- who had begun to teach me-” (Douglass 521). Douglass states that Mrs. Auld, due to “the humanity in her heart, and the simplicity of her mind” set out, when he first went to live with her, to treat Douglass “as she supposed one human ought to treat another” (522). Later, Mrs. Auld becomes “violent in her opposition” to Douglass’s reading due to the strong advice of her husband. Douglass tells the reader, “ My mistress--was suddenly checked in her benevolent design, by the strong advice of her husband” (521). In these words, Douglass is

During the 1800’s, the institution of slavery was still ongoing in the few slave states left in America. Slavery was still proving to be unjust and unfair, not allowing for African Americans to be considered equals. However, some slaves were able to overcome the many restrictions and boundaries that slavery forced upon them. In Frederick Douglass’ essay “Learning to Read and Write,” Douglass portrays himself as an intelligent and dignified slave who’s able to overcome the racial boundaries placed upon him. Frederick Douglass saw that his only pathway to freedom was through literacy, so his goal was to learn how to read and write no matter the circumstances. Douglass realized

     It is at this time that Frederick Douglass learns one of the greatest freedoms of all. He is set free, in an educational sense. Douglass has been taught a few reading lessons form his mistress. Soon after his master discovers this, and commences the teaching at once. Soon thereafter, Frederick Douglass uses some smart tactics to resume his learning. He in a sense manipulates the children around him into teaching him how to read and write. This grand achievement taught Douglass something, as he says, “From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and

Douglass was motivated to learn how to read by hearing his master condemn the education of slaves. Mr. Auld declared that an education would “spoil” him and “forever unfit him to be a slave” (2054). He believed that the ability to read makes a slave “unmanageable” and “discontented” (2054). Douglass discovered that the “white man’s power to enslave the black man” (2054) was in his literacy and education. As long as the

People often wonder about the struggles of slave life, including the fact that it was extremely difficult to become literate as a slave. Frederick Douglass, who was once a slave who learned to read and write, outlines these obstacles and the effects that they had on him in a chapter titled “Learning to Read and Write” within his autobiography. Said chapter reveals Douglass’s innermost thoughts and attitudes towards many things during his time as a slave, including his mistress, slavery itself, and reading. Douglass displays an appreciative and later aggravated tone towards his mistress, an outraged tone towards slavery, and an enthusiastic tone that later becomes resigned and despairing towards reading, exemplifying that tone can strongly influence the portrayal of a topic.

In the excerpt “Learning to Read and Write”, Frederick Douglass talks about his experiences in slavery living in his masters house and his struggle to learn how to read and write. Frederick Douglass was an African American social reformer, orator, writer, and statesman. Some of his other writings include “The Heroic Slave”, “My Bondage and My Freedom”, and “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass”. In this excerpt, Frederick Douglass uses an empathic tone, imagery, certain verb choice, contrast, and metaphors to inform African Americans of how important it is to learn to read and write and also to inform a white American audience of the evils of slavery. I find Frederick Douglass to

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

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.

As soon as Douglass pieces together what Mr. Auld was saying he recognizes that “What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn.” (Douglass 38). This instant illustrates one of the first climaxes of the narrative. One statement made by Mr. Auld so greatly impacted Douglass by giving him a new sense of hope and will to succeed in obtaining his freedom. Douglass pulls out the positive in this experience, that Mr. Auld accidentally shared with him the power that comes with education. “In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both” (Douglass 39). Douglass learned to read not only in thanks to his kind mistress, who willingly taught him to read, but also to his cruel master whose rage towards Douglass learning to read and write generated him to give Douglass the knowledge he wanted to keep from him to begin with. The lesson given to him by his master about education was far more important than even the lesson’s on learning to read. Douglass’s use of chiasmi takes this climax to the

     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

Before I read this piece of art, I did not think that I would like it; I thought it was a tedious literary work like the ones a part of a colossal textbook at first glance. However, I changed my mind after reading it thoroughly. I am honestly amazed at how Douglass’ words link together to have such easy flow and clarity through each sentence. He is a better writer than some of the people who learned how to read and write at an even younger age than him. Last but not least, I love how he proves that education is important since reading and writing gave him the advantage to become a free man; this excerpt gives a lesson on why education is pivotal to gaining knowledge to have a sense of individuality.

His relationship with his former instructor had begun to sour after a number of years; while she was ironically the reason for Douglass’ literacy, she also had adopted her husband’s ways, and began to abuse Douglass (Douglass, 32). Part of the reason for his mistress’ cruel behavior is to undo the success she had given Douglass. However, this made Douglass thirstier for the power of knowledge. His mistress was the reason why he was given the ability to become educated, as she taught him his alphabet and words (Douglass, 33). In response to this, Douglass began to device plans to earn his fruits, despite his

Frederick Doulgass’s essay “Learning to read and write” goes on to talk about slavery, and explains how he pursued his yearning to read and write efficiently despite his slave owners mission to keep Douglass from being literate. In his essay Douglass illustrates pathos when talking about the emotions he had during his youth when he was a slave. He presents himself in an authority to which he has the write to be literate because even being a slave, he is human. Frederick Douglass explains how slave owners kept the abolition of slavery from their minds by excluding them from education and keeping them ignorant. Doulgass felt unworthy at times of existing because he has been enlightened by his reading and had realized his condition just as he says “ It opened my eyes in to the horrible pit, but no ladder upon which to get out.”

During the eighteenth century, slavery was already well-established section of the American labor system. As the amount of slaves grew in size, they did not receive rights, and were mostly separated from their families. They were mostly needed for agricultural labors and had to work mostly from dusk to dawn. Frederick Douglass’s experiences as a slave was different than that other colonial labor because of the strict treatment he received from his masters, the inferiority to other humans that he felt, and the harsh conditions he lived in.

Douglass was a former slave who taught himself how to read and write. Even though he was a slave and he was not allowed to read and write, he still taught himself how to do both. His masters were trying their hardest to make sure he was not reading and writing. Douglass mentions “When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with me, and by doing one part of my errand quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return” (Douglass 26). Even though he had people who didn’t want him to read and write, he still had other people giving him word of encouragement so he can push him-self to read and