The Importance Education Has on Life Essay

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.

Douglass had an obvious want for knowledge and understanding, which he clearly fought for through his autobiography. He was taught the alphabet and how to spell at a young age by his master’s wife. However, his teachings were put down when his owner told his wife that there’d be no fit for him if he learned how to read. Douglass soon started to realize that if he wanted his freedom he’d have to learn to read. Being told not to learn only made him want to learn more so that one day he will gain the respect, knowledge, and freedom he deserved. He even used bribes to have young boys teach him to write. His want for education was very strong, and that’s where he uses his desire to his advantage in the writing style of his self written life story. He tells his story as if we were alongside him the whole way learning how he put each little teaching he learned together like a puzzle to make one big magnificent masterpiece at the end when he finally gained his freedom. As Douglass continued to gain knowledge, he gained more character and found himself to not be just a slave but a human being, a valuable and important man who wanted to make a difference in the way he

Going through the certain struggles that black people had to endure makes us value freedom even more. Douglass learns how to read and write in a world that discriminated skin colors. Through Douglass's journey, he shows how he started learning through his mistress until she realized that by instructing him, she was giving him power. Of course his master had tried to stop Mr. Douglass from reading and writing but it was too late. It was very fascinating the consequences that he had of his education.

Douglass Realized that if he was not educated, he would have never have a meaning for life other than slavery; “...and the thought of being ~a slave for life~ began to bear heavily upon my heart,”(2). In other words, the thought of being a slave really hurt him and decided to find out more about it. This supports” Taking away someone’s education is a form of oppression”, because this is what made it so that he started to realize the other parts of life. He was only able to read those books because he was somewhat educated by other children around his age(People who were allowed to go to school) . He was able to read books like “The columbian Orator”, and eventually realized that he was not only a slave, but a person, and he was also able to get a denunciation of slavery from Richard Sheridan. He would not be able to do this without getting an education, and he would be a slave without one. This proves that “Taking away a person’s education is a form of oppression” because if he did not know how to read, he would always be a slave and be

Since slaves were not allowed schooling, illiteracy was very common for African Americans slaves. For many people not accustomed to slavery, it was believed that slavery was simply a state of natural being. People believed African Americans were inherently incapable of residing in their society and consequently should live as laborers for white slave owners. Enforcing illiteracy among children deprived them of their necessary morality and ethics. Southern slave owners used this to their advantage control how the remainder of the country viewed slavery. If slaves were illiterate, they were incapable of telling their side of slavery. Douglass is saying that knowledge is key to winning against slavery. His quote, “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man” (Douglass) describes his transformation as a slave with little knowledge and education to a man who has become very knowledgeable and educated to beat slavery. Douglass uses knowledge as the road to his freedom. He seeks knowledge and education to help slaves voice the wrong doings slaveholders are bringing upon blacks. Douglass helps slaves discover their selves not as slaves but as men instead.

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

By taking away his education, it made Douglass more motivated to gain an education. The owners thought it would make slaves unfit to do their duties. Once Douglass became motivated, he gained the information he needed and had been wanting. He got the education he was once told he could not get and he became a well known

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.

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.

In the movie, The Freedom Writers Mrs. Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) plays a role of a dedicated teacher who did all she could, to help her students learn to respect themselves and each other. She has little idea of what she's getting into when she volunteers to be an English teacher at a newly integrated high school in Long Beach, California. Her students were divided along racial lines and had few aspirations beyond basic survival. Mrs. Gruwell was faced with a big challenge when a group of freshmen students showed her nothing but disrespect which made it hard for her to communicate, teach and understand them. However, Erin Gruwell was determined that no matter the cost she would teach her students not only

Movies such as the “Freedom Writers (LaGravenese, 2007)” and “Precious Knowledge (Palos, 2011)” both support the central theme of discrimination and race within a school system. The students in both movies come from backgrounds experiencing poverty, gangs, and violence experiencing discrimination and the lack of support for their education, but overcome the stereotypes and battles to gain access to receiving their education at their fullest potential. Each movie involves students that were guided and supported by a teacher figure(s) to instill in the students that their education and success is just as important than any others. The battles that these students and teachers face throughout the movies, creates highs and lows displaying the