Frederick Douglass Pathway To Freedom

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.

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass, he tells his own personal story about what it was like to live as a slave. While living through the horrors of slavery, Douglass manages to educate himself, by teaching himself to read with the help of few. As Douglass matures, life only gets harder. However, his education brings him hope. Not only does Douglass read of abolition, giving him hope, he also learns the importance of his education. Frederick Douglass discovers that education is the key to the freedom of his people through realizing the inevitable power gap is created by ignorance.

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.

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.

Everyone would agree that education helps develop us into who we are and what we can become. We are able to explore new ideas and concepts, which leads to more knowledge. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass is thrown into a new world of knowledge and opportunity, once he learns how to read and write. Through his knowledge, he learns more about his situation and potential. Douglass discovers that a slave was set free by persuading his master, and as a result, this information makes Douglass an avid learner. He understands that education is his only way out of slavery. Education empowers people to make good decisions and paves a future that provides opportunities. An education can open doors that were once closed.

First, Douglass explains that education and freedom are inseparable. When he is a young slave, his Mistress Hugh treats him like another person and teaches him alphabet. However, Master Hugh perceives that

Frederick Douglass was the champion to a lot of people especially those enslave at that time. It’s easy to imagine slavery but hard to see it. Douglass was inspired by his own story which then inspired millions of others. He is confronted with a challenging task in his writing by trying to fulfil the need. Frederick Douglass opens up people eyes. His book helps to see through his eyes, someone who resisted and fought for freedom for each and every one of us. The road of inspiration taken by Frederick Douglass lead to his freedom along with leading others to freedom.

Message: Douglass wants his audience, the American public, to know that he earned his freedom. Freedom is something that each of us must look for in order to be truly “free.” Through the personal experiences of his own life as a slave and his perseverance to become educated, Douglass shows us that it requires persistence and bravery to look for freedom. He also illustrates to the audience that there is no real end in this search for freedom until slavery is fully abolished.

For example, Franklin taught himself how to swim through reading a book. Also, he kept a journal to track his virtues, which his main mission was to have a free-marked page. This will demonstrated that he had successfully fought through each virtue. Similarly, in Frederick Douglass’ Narrative, Douglass also believe in self-teaching but was completely restrict due to the color of his skin. Douglass had to learn how to read by playing games with the children in his neighborhood. In addition, self-improvement and self-determination were a major factor of how Douglass became a freed slave. It gave him the strength to leave slavery and become an important individual. Douglass’s problems as a kid were far different than Franklin’s problems. Because Douglass lack of freedom, it made it so much harder for him to become a “self-made” man. Both of these men were “self-made” men and it is proven through the obstacles they had as a child, through their teenager years, and finally, after their

The pursuit of truth and meaning in the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass. Knowledge is the means to freedom. Education and freedom are connected to each other. The road to freedom was the road of education. When the mistress tries to teach Frederik Douglass how to read, the husband gets extremely upset and notes that if you teach a slave how to read, he will no longer want to be a slave. the perpetuation of slavery through enforced ignorance. Douglass’s explanation about why he does not describe the means of his escape elaborates on one of the Narrative’s main themes—the

Can education change a person’s life? To answer this question, a reader should discover Frederick Douglass’s autobiography. Considered to be one of history’s most significant accounts of the slave experience, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself chronicles the life of one of America’s leading abolitionists and historical figures. Douglass crafted his magnum opus with detailed accounts of his life as a slave and eventual freedom. In this work, Douglass documents his early life as a slave on a rural Maryland plantation, his later successive movements between owners, and his eventual freedom to the northeastern United States. However, Douglass does not simply give an elementary description of his

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.

The American Dream rejoices with the stories that begin with humble beginnings and end with prosperity and success; the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a story of upward social success and increased affluence and freedom. Douglass narrates his own life and tells of his failures, thoughts, and accomplishments over the span of his life. He began his life at the bottom of society as a slave. Through hard work, an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and the ability to maintain and fight for his beliefs, Frederick Douglass attained the goal of the American Dream and eventually became a free man. Douglass’s transition from uneducated slave to free citizen was slow, and began when he would pay children in his neighborhood with bread to learn how to read. As a child Douglass recognized the value of education and would sacrifice so much to be able to learn to read, in part to spite his slave owners. With this foundation, he knew he could become accomplished. He used his self-taught education to encourage other slaves to learn and become literate. This foundation and bank of knowledge allowed Douglass to escape from slavery and become a free man. The early scenes in Douglass’s life prove to influence and encourage his success throughout his lifetime, which, in turn, provides further support of the value of the American Dream.

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 did not feel safe, so his mistress taught him to read ( Douglass 185). As such, finding ways to fight discrimination is essential to ensuring students educational opportunity. Frederick Douglass got his opportunity by learning to write because of the ship board timber that was used for letters ( Douglass 188).