People who are literate break their goals down and do little by little at time until they accomplish their goal. Douglass persistently fought for equal rights to combat slavery and women suffrage. He inspired many activist around the world to fight for equal rights. Through the power of literacy, he overcame great obstacles to gain his freedom and the freedom of others. Obstacles did not hinder him in any way. He help numerous people of his time even in the present time he still inspires civil rights activist. Literacy is an important tool to open your to a new way of think as in Douglass’s case. Douglass once said, “I didn’t know I was an slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted” (Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Picture this going through life without the ability to read or write. Without these abilities, it is impossible for a person to be a functioning member of society. In addition, imagine that someone is purposely limiting your knowledge to keep a leash on your independence. Not only is an American slave raised without skills in literacy, he cannot be taught to read unless someone breaks the law. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the reader is given a detailed explanation of why slave masters keep their slaves ignorant and the effects such a strategy has on the slaves’ lives. In his autobiography, Douglass describes how the knowledge he obtains has substantial positive and negative effects on his psyche. He is given renewed passion and hope for freedom while struggling with the burden of enlightenment of his situation. Ultimately, however, education shapes his fate, and he achieves freedom and prominence as an advocate for abolition.
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
Throughout this excerpt from his autobiography, Frederick Douglass constantly refers to the importance of Education and Literacy. He continuously details not only that education represented power, but also that an educated and literate slave would be dangerous in the eyes of the slave-loving southerners. Education all throughout time has represented knowledge, and knowledge is seen as power, both of which could easily corrupt someone, hence why slave owners chose to keep slaves in the dark in regards to education. Douglass argued that education was seen as the key to success and free thoughts, however, both were luxuries unknown to a slave unless they took matters into their own hands.
Frederick Douglass was very fortunate to have learned how to read. In his time if you were a slave and had no education you couldn’t escape to freedom. Frederick Douglass’s key to education was his mistress (155). At first she was very nice and was giving him the education he needed and wanted but then from the influence of her husband she became rotten and denied him the right to his education “My mistress, who had kindly commenced to instruct me, had in compliance with the advice and direction of her husband no, not only ceased to instruct, but had set her face against my being instructed by anyone else” (155). But then he was fortunate enough to get some boys around where he lived to continue teaching him “The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these I could I could, I converted into teachers,
Frederick Douglass was an African American who demonstrates courageous actions for himself as well as others. He was born on February 1818, in Talbot County, Maryland. He was born into slavery, but as a child, he was not sent into the fields to work. Children that were young in age were not able to work in the fields, because they were not strong enough. Within his journey of slavery, Sophia Auld started teaching him the A, B, Cs and three to four lettered words, but that did not last for long (Douglass 1196). As Frederick Douglass continues to explore life he became a supporter of abolition. After gaining knowledge on how to read, he began to realize that the power of reading could possibly free him from slavery. Frederick Douglass was a courageous and intelligent man for continuing his path of getting an education, even though it was challenging and dangerous, but that path ultimately confirmed his belief that learning to read would help him become free from slavery.
He now knew what empowered them and what he needed to become empowered, and he states that "The argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn" (48). He prized this lesson and took advantage of it. Frederick Douglass now set a goal for himself to learn how to read at any cost.
Fredrick Douglass began life in a difficult position. Born into slavery, he did not have the good fortune of having a parent to attend to him. He witnessed unspeakable cruelty daily, which undoubtedly caused him a great deal of emotional distress. Yet, he never gave up on himself. Throughout his life, he continually sought to better himself through any means available to him. Against all odds, Douglass made tremendous strides in his efforts to better himself, and he eventually succeeded in achieving his ultimate goal of escaping from the horrors of slavery.
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.
Frederick Douglass was motivated to read so that he can escape to the North knowing how to read and write, and become someone better in life than just a slave. He wants to move away from that ideology or social norm of being looked at and treated as “chattel” (a personal property) and wants to be more of a human being to their eyes. In addition, Frederick Douglass wants to prove society wrong at that time about slaves and education being incompatible and that he has an equal right to education as everyone else. What truly impressed me from this article was when he stated, “Reading was more of a curse than a blessing”. At first, his statement perplexed me because in the beginning he was determined to learn to read and now that he is learning
Frederick Douglass was a young slave with an aspiring dream to learn and further his life of knowledge and education. There was only one thing stopping him: his lack of freedom. The ability to read and access to an education is a liberating experience that results in the formation of opinions, critical-thinking, confidence, and self-worth. Slave owners feared slaves gaining knowledge because knowledge is power and they might have a loss of power, which would result to the end of cheap labor. Slave owners made the slaves feel as if they had no self-worth or confidence. If the slaves got smarter they could potentially begin to learn how unjust and wrong slavery was and they would have enough reason to rebel against it. Douglass was learning how to read and write from his slave owner’s wife. Unfortunately, both of them were told how wrong it was for him to be learning because a slave was not to be educated and was deemed unteachable. There was also another fear that the slave owners had. They feared that slaves would have better communication skills which would lead to escape and ways to avoid slavery. Reading opens your mind to new ideas and new knowledge one has never had the opportunity of knowing.
of living a slave life and he feared he would walk that path for the remainder of his life. Despite
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.
Literacy plays an important part in helping Douglass achieve his freedom. Learning to read and write enlightened his mind to the injustice of slavery; it kindled in his heart longings for liberty. Douglass’s skills proved instrumental in his attempts of escape and afterwards in his mission as a spokesman against slavery.
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
Another impact of achieving an education is that it brings knowledge to one’s life. Knowledge is a powerful benefit for people in their understandings. Both Douglass and Malcolm also recognized the power of knowledge that impacted them into following education. With great effort, Malcolm was fascinated with the knowledge he gained “I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying”(81). He made a progress in reading to understand the contents of a book even if it is the first time he picked it up. Knowledge also assisted Douglass in finding the injustice of slavery and motivating him to gain his freedom. In the essay “Learning to Read and Write”, he states that “the more I read, the more I was lead to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their home, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes and in a stargerland reduced us to slavery.”(64). He became cognizant of what fate was in hold for the enslavers. That idea impacted him to gain more knowledge and escape slavery to share his knowledge and what must be done. Today, people who want to gain knowledge have to go to school for their education. People that attend are taught the essential lessons that they need in order to move forward in life. Out of everyone in my family, I am the only one given the chance to go to college.