Frederick Douglass Essay Learning To Read And Write
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Frederick Douglass, former slave and prominent abolitionist gives an account of his coming to
literacy in the excerpt, Learning to Read and Write, from his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass. He offers an immersive and rich telling of his journey to academic
enlightenment by using enthralling detail, riveting imagery, and noteworthy metaphors. Douglass's
objective is to prove to the audience that in order to achieve recognition and dignity you must
possess the power of articulation and eloquence. Douglass continuously uses detail as the small
elements in his life story help to collectively constitute a recital of the important lessons he learned.
Detail is distinctly present when he shares how he approached learning to write in the
...show more
content...
The most obvious representation is seen when he describes coming to understand the word
abolitionist, "the light broke in upon me by degrees". The light acts as a metaphor for his
comprehension of what it means to be an abolitionist and additionally delivers the concept of
gradually learning the word. The usage of metaphors deepens the reader's awareness of the content
and decipherment of the text. Altogether, metaphors help to enrich Douglass's writing whilst
presenting his purpose of intelligence being fundamental for living a liberated life. Devices such as
detail, imagery, and metaphors help Douglass in producing an exceptional piece of literature and
proving to his audience that the only way to obtain privilege and reach salvation is to invest in
education
. His passionate telling of literacy being the only response to his desire for freedom
undoubtedly imprints in the minds of readers the importance of reading and writing and reminds
them of how imperative it is. To sum, Douglass utilizes various stratagems to prove to readers the
significance of education and
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Essay On Frederick Douglass Learning To Read
Today, I read two articles which about the two author's experiences of learning to read and write.
One is Frederick Douglass Learning to Read and Write. Another is Malcolm X Literacy Behind
Bars. These two articles inspire me to learn more knowledge at the same time, and these two authors
set us an example of diligent study. After I compare with these two articles, I found that they both
have a lot of similarities, but they still have some differences. There are several similarities between
Douglass and Malcolm X that we may interesting in. First of all, these two authors both are esne,
but they still love studying. Douglass lived in a slavery society, and he was a slave. Further more,
He was always treated by violence from his master.
...show more content...
At the beginning, Douglass regretted that he understand knowledge and understand his situation that
make him hurt. However, when he know the word "abolition", he was willing to learn more and
listen more about this word. He has began to yearn for freedom since he could read, and he was
satisfied with it. Malcolm X proud to himself for he know the knowledge. An English writer ask
him, " What's your alma mater?" He told him, " Books." From this conversation, we can image that
he is pleased with the knowledge so that he become a militant black nationalist leader. Even though
they share a lot of similarities, they still exist some differences. Such as,
Malcolm was able to get and read a lot of book even he was a prisoner, but Douglass as a slave was
hard to find a book. Another is Malcolm had more free time than Douglass to study because
Malcolm stayed in prison all the time, but Douglass needed to work. Douglass prefer to know more
about abolitionist, but Malcolm was just eager for reading. These differences that we may interested
in. Indeed we could know more about what the situation and character between these two authors.
In conclusion, Even these two articles have some similarities and differences, they both can teach us
to study hard. And these two authors are examples for all of students to follow. I hope every student
can become more and more intelligent and make the world more
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Learning a new set of skills can be off putting and come with many difficult challenges. In the
excerpt, "Learning to Read and Write " by Frederick Douglass and "Learning to Read" by Malcolm
X it discusses each mans challenges to be literate as black men in America. Though set almost half a
century apart, hardships occur as both strive for greatness. Through their use of diction, details, and
language each speaker differentiates themselves from each other and forms their own unique way of
sharing their story. In the two excerpts the two men use diction to expose their character and evoke
emotions in the reader. Frederick Douglass describes his first challenge, when abandoned by his
mistress's teachings and he has to come up with ways to become familiar with reading. "The plan
which I adopted, and the by which I was most successful, was that of making friends with all the
little white boys whom I met in the streets". BY choosing to say this Douglass then makes himself
seen like a strong independent man
. When things get tough he doesn't give up he simply finds
another way to get it done and that is impressive. While Douglass uses diction to empower himself
Malcolm X uses diction to lower his ego and describe himself before learning to read, "In the street,
I had been the most articulate hustler out there I had commanded attention when I said something.
But now trying to write simple English I not only wasn't articulate, I wasn't even functional". BY
sharing this specific
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Learning To Read And Write By Frederick Douglass
In the extract "Learning to Read and Write," Frederick Douglass tells the intended audience about
his experiences as a slave living in his master's house and how he went through many trials to learn
to read and write. In this excerpt, Frederick Douglass uses imagery, contrast, pathos, ethos, logos, an
empathic tone, certain verb choice, and metaphors to inform African Americans of how crucial it is
to learn how to read and write and to inform an audience of caucasian Americans of the
wrongdoings that slavery has brought about. Frederick Douglass is often persuasive using pathos to
get across to the intended audiences.
Frederick Douglass had specific audiences that he wanted to either relate to or to get across a point
to. African American people that had endured slavery were an intended audience because Frederick
Douglass states things such as "Thus, after a long, tedious effort for years. I finally succeeded in
learning how to read and write" and "I was compelled to resort to various stratagems". Those
sentences by Frederick Douglass show that it was not an easy time for him and the levels or trials
that he went through to be someone who was not illiterate. Frederick Douglass never once was one
to give up on the need to learn to read and write, so that shows that Frederick Douglass thought that
it was important for the African American people to be as well educated as the caucasian Americans
were. The caucasian Americans were Frederick's intended audience because of Frederick's use of
contrast throughout the extract. Frederick tells how his mistress had changed on him from being a
helpful, loving, and nice woman to an evil spirited, bitter brute
...show more content...
Frederick Douglass effectively persuades his audience to show the crucial need for learning to read
and write and to inform how slavery was a true
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In his essay "Learning to Read and Write" Frederick Douglass begins by describing how he learned
to read and write and the obstacles he faced to overcome his condition of being a slave. Douglas's
enslavers prevented him from getting an education or to learn anything that makes him somewhat
valuable because they believed that slavery and education were not compatible. The challenges he
faced were not easy, but his persistence to better himself allowed Douglas to invent strategic
methods to pursue his aspiration of reading and learning. Frederick Douglas strongly believes in
basic human rights of an individual and enlightens society around him the importance of education
and freedom, stating that it gives an individual the opportunity to identify
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Our first reading of EN101, Fredrick Douglass' "Learning to Read," helped our class to better
understand the privilege of being a writer. During this time, he is able to learn how to read and write
thanks to the help of Mrs. Auld, even though she is eventually pressured into no longer tutoring him
due to pressure from society. The relationship between Douglass and Mrs. Auld is both physically
and emotionally damaged because of slavery
. Mrs. Douglass becomes hardened and cruel due to the
lack of sympathy that the mentality of slavery has brought along with it. Nevertheless, Douglass was
able to learn the alphabet and is now determined to learn how to read. He manages to persuade the
poor local boys to give him lessons to read in exchange for bread. Douglass wants to thank these
boys by using their name, but he knows that they would pay the price for it, because teaching blacks
still is not socially acceptable during this time. Douglass recalls the boys sadly agreeing that he
himself deserved to be a slave no more than they did.
...show more content...
In the book, the master presents the argument for slavery, but the slave was able to persuade the
master to release him due to his ability to rebuttal each point given. The book helps Douglass to
effectively build the case against slavery, but the more information he compiles, the more he begins
to hate his masters. Douglass's discontent is becoming more present now that he understands the
injustice of slavery but still has nothing in his power to escape it. Douglass enters a period of
hopelessness that almost leads to suicide. Douglass anxiously listens to anyone discussing the topic
of slavery. He hears the word abolitionist often appear in conversation. Douglass finally discovers
that the word abolitionist means antislavery in a city newspaper account of a Northern abolitionist
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Frederick Douglass Learning To Read And Write
Fredrick Douglass wrote the very empowering story called, "Learning to Read and Write". The
entire work had emotion and painted a great picture of the life he lived struggling with his
intelligence and trying to gain as much information as he could without getting caught. Douglass
took any opportunity many others would not even notice. Frederick found something he was
passionate about and didn't stop at anything to obtain his goal to be an intelligent man hoping one
day he would make his way out of his lifetime role as a slave. He was taught the alphabet by the
Mistress of the Hugh house that he worked for seven years. Her husband didn't like the power word
could potentially give Douglass, so he stopped the sessions for learning. Little did
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Compare and Contrast of "A Talk to Teachers" and "Learning to Read and Write" In the mid 1800s,
the question of whether slavery was ethical or not was a particularly contentious matter. Slaves
struggled to withstand the harsh treatments from their master's, along with getting an education,
until 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment formally abolished slavery. Although slavery was no
longer tolerated, the racial bigotry did not end. Fast forward to the 1950s, and racial inequality is
still prevalent in society. Segregation existed in almost every aspect of life ranging from miniscule
topics such as where one can sit on the bus, to more serious topics such as quality of education one
child receives. This discrimination was fought through protests in the civil rights movement
throughout the 1950s and 1960s. As an American high school student in a country still plagued with
racial discrimination today, it is imperative to remember the true value of a quality education. While
James Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers" and Frederick Douglass's "Learning to Read and Write" both
emphasize the need for racial equality in education, Baldwin's forceful and angry tone ultimately
make his speech the more rhetorically effective of the two. Both authors appeal to pathos by sharing
their dismal past experiences with racial prejudice. Douglass expresses these past experiences
through personal stories of the hate, inequity, and betrayal he faced while attempting to get an
education. After depicting several poignant encounters with failures in his plan to get an education,
Douglass reveals that he "often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself
dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or
done something for which I should have been killed" (Douglass 103). Although Douglass evokes
emotion from his audience by sharing this feeling, it does not correlate with his intended message
that every human deserves an education. Instead, he focuses on the negative aspect of slavery and
the despair he felt, making this appeal to pathos rhetorically ineffective. Similarly, Baldwin
illustrates his past experiences with racial inequality through several examples of
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Fredrick Douglass Learning To Read And Write
My Reading Experience
For some people reading can be a difficult experience. For me it became difficult at the age of five
years old. I really wasn't an educational kid I was more of a kid that like to play with my toys and
four brothers, whenever they came home from school. As I grew up reading became a little more
difficult for me to master, at times in my middle school my teacher Mr.G would test us on how well
and skilled we were at reading
. Every day when it was time for him to test me I would get nervous
and started to stubble on words and fail my test. By the time I was in high school I learned how to
take my time and read, which has help me to progress my reading skills over the years.
Fredrick Douglass' "Learning to Read and Write,"
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All humans are created equally and are born with free will. Every person has the natural right to be
the author of their life, meaning that they can make their own choices and pursue their dreams.
Nevertheless, humans bent nature to their will by adopting slavery, a practice in which humans are
owned and are brutally forced to work. In the excerpt "Learning to Read and Write," Frederick
Douglass masters the literacy skills he needed to fulfill his role as an abolitionist, bringing an end to
slavery (Douglass 100). Throughout his piece, he addressed many important concepts such as that
reading is power but also a curse (Douglass 100). His main objective was to prove his point that our
environment doesn't define who we are. It's the choices we
...show more content...
Although Douglass's mistress ceased to instructed him because he lived in a society where it was
derogatory to teach blacks how to read, it didn't make him overwhelmed, illiterate, stupid, or
uneducated (Douglass 101–102). It didn't make him too scared get help or to disobey the rules of
society because of the choice he made (Douglass 101–102). For example, according to the excerpt
"Learning to Read and Write," he befriended the boys he met on the street and did them many favors
to make them his teachers (Douglass 101). That is to say that Douglass was ambitious and serious
about his education though nobody pushed him to learn. He also "[gave bread to] the hungry little
urchins, who, in return, would give me a more valuable bread of knowledge" (Douglass 101). In
addition, by going one part of [his] errands quickly, [he] found time to get a lesson before his return"
(Douglass 101) and in time, he successfully mastered the skill of reading (Douglass 101). In other
words, Douglass tried to prove his point that our circumstances don't define us by showing that
despite his disadvantages, he wasn't dumb or illiterate (Douglass 101). He became a
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Michael DeCuir Jr Mr. Zintgraff Composition 1 1 October 2017 Learning to Read "Education and
slavery were incompatible with each other" is a quote from the excerpt Learning to Read and Write
by Frederick Douglass. (7.40) Douglass was born a slave in 1818. In those times, a slave being able
to read and write was a crime. For Frederick Douglass being able to do both, tells you a lot about his
character before you even read the passage. It shows you that he's a very ambitious and strong–
minded man. Douglass found ways to accomplish his goal to learn how to read and write. Douglass
effetely persuaded his audience by his explanation through writings, he appeals to the three parts of
the rhetorical triangle: ethos, logos, and pathos. Douglass appeals
...show more content...
It is a non–fiction passage; it grabs the audience's attention. At one point in the story, Douglass
explained in details how he learned to read and write. One might think this is a major step in
Douglass' life. Douglass stated that he found himself Beamon his own life he contemplated taking
his own life. This is the gyrate point of the autobiography. The audience would not expect Douglass
to feel this way at all. Once Douglass accomplished reading, he found out an abundant amount of
information pertaining to slavery and how the whites tortured his people. "In moments of agony, I
envied my fellow–slaves for their stupidity. I have often wished myself a beast. I preferred the
condition of the meanest reptile to my own. Anything, no matter what, to get rid of thinking! It was
this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me. (7.6)" He was appalled by the
information he discovered, he realized that he couldn't do anything about it because if anyone was to
hear him reading his life would be in grave danger. It was not an easy process for Douglass to be
able to read and write. His mistress, Sofia Auld who was said to be kind and tender–hearted, was his
biggest supporter she taught him the alphabet. Suddenly, there was a change in her heart. She
stopped teaching him and became an avid
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Frederick Douglass "How I Learned to Read and Write" 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
...show more content...
After he realized the strongholds and stipulations held upon him, Douglass sought to hear anything
he can about slavery. Douglass became fascinated with the word abolition, and not knowing what it
meant bothered him. Douglass, eager to find the meaning of the word, picked up a newspaper
containing an account of petitions for the abolition of slavery and slave trade. It was not long before
Frederick realized what the word now meant. Young Douglass was enlightened with new ideas that
both tormented and inspired him. He soon began to detest slavery, and he knew that writing was the
final step to fulfill his plight to become literate. So Douglass traveled to Mr. Water's Wharf where he
met two Irishmen who felt sorry for him being a slave and advised him to run away. However,
Douglass believed that if he learned to write he could possible write his own ticket out of slavery.
With this new found idea, he traveled to Durgin and Bailey's ship–yard where he learned to write by
using abbreviations. Different abbreviations stood for various areas on the ship where the timber
was to be placed. He soon learned the names of the abbreviated letters and challenged the boys who
had taught him to read, in writing contests. This method, along with his
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Frederick Douglass Learning To Read Summary
In "Frederik Douglass Learning to read (1845)" Frederik Douglass describes his experiences as a
slave and how he learned to read and write. The main idea of Frederick's passage is how powerful
and important education is. Frederick accounts for how he began to learn to read through his
mistress, who taught him the alphabet. Douglass lived in the master Hugh's family. Master Hugh
ended the mistress illegal attempts at teaching Douglass. After learning the alphabet, Douglass
continued to educate himself with the help of the white children he met on the street. Douglass
explains that he gave the children bread in exchange for knowledge. He also read many books which
prompted new thoughts and ideas. After reading books and documents repeatedly Douglass
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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." He spoke of his emotions later in the essay with " I often found myself of
regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead;" Douglass values the ability to read and
write with a full understanding, even though his slave owners didn't allow him to do so. He believed
that he would forever remain a slave, unlike the white children." I wished I could be as free as they
would be when they got to be men."
...show more content...
" Nothing seemed to make her more angry than to see me with a newspaper. She seemed to think
that here laid the danger." Douglass felt as though he has the right to be literate just like non slave
members of society. Douglass has ethos because of the fact that he was a slave and went on to be an
accomplished writer and abolitionist
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In "Learning to Read and Write" written by Frederick Douglass, he talks about his experience of
teaching himself how to read and write as a slave boy living in Master Hugh's house where his
mistress educated him. However, she was dictated by her husband and the instructions given to the
slaves on how to read had to stop; in order for Douglass to teach himself, he obtained a book about
slavery
, The Columbian Orator and read the book every free second he had. Encouraged by the
book, Douglass runs away to the north from his master for freedom. Douglass' main ideas include
depravity, chattel, and an emancipation, which represents a moral corruption, the slave properties,
and an act of freeing someone from slavery, respectively.
Douglass' mistress treated all her slaves as if she would treat any other human beings. As Douglass
explains, "She was a pious, warm, and tender–hearted woman
.....
She had bread for the hungry,
clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach" (101). She lacked
a general depravity towards the slaves and promoted education among the slaves at first. But, her
husband did not; he knew if his slaves had knowledge about slavery and were literate and able to
verbally defend themselves, the wall separating African–American slaves and White men will
eventually break and free men power will no longer be available. When Douglass was in an
unsupervised room for more than a reasonable period of time, he got "suspected of having a book,
and was at once called to give an account of himself" (101). Master Hugh's corrupted morality
blocked Douglass' every attempt to learn more about literacy and slavery.
Being a chattel –the idea of being possessed as Master Hugh's personal belongings for the rest of the
life questioned Douglass' existence and the purpose of his life. As he explains, "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" (103). After reading "Sheridan's mighty speeches" in the book, The Columbian Orator,
Douglass finally could utter his thoughts and form
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Frederick Douglass: Learning To Read And Write
Frederick Douglass/ and Me Frederick Douglass autobiography learning to read and write was
written in 1845 and is a story of his struggle to learn to read and write. The story talks about how he
was self–taught because back when he was a kid, a slave in Maryland, it was not allowed for a slave
to learn to read and write. Douglass had to sneak and trick people into teaching him how to read and
write. He never went to school
, never had a teacher to guide him or supportive parents like had
while I struggled through school. In kindergarten I was diagnosed dyslexic, actually, it was number
dyslexia. I had trouble solving basic math equations seeing and understanding patterns, math
became a real struggle for me. It felt like other kids were flying by, and I would always be stuck in
the same place. When Douglass talks about how he would always be a slave and how the other kids
would soon be free. It
...show more content...
I myself had to learn different tricks to learn math; such as, different techniques or having a teacher
show me multiple times until I finally understood how to solve a math problem or I finally saw the
shape that was being made. Douglass and I had our struggles growing up on how to learn something
his was reading and writing, mine was problem solving and shapes.
Both Douglass and I were able to overcome our struggles, he was able to become free and became
one of the most famous writers in the world. He made his mark in the world and showed people that
no matter what people say or do, keep going because the struggle is worth the reward in the end. I
learned how to deal with my disability, it took a lot of time and patience, but I never gave up. I am
now the only person in my family who is a college graduate, something I never thought I would
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In Frederick Douglass 's essay, "Learning to Read and Write", he describes the various methods with
which he became literate throughout the age of slavery. The essay is made with well–executed and
potent literary tools that serve to each relay the struggle he endured in learning to browse and write,
additionally on more prove Douglass 's distinguished accomplishments and talent against apparently
insurmountable odds. It 's an awfully personal recount of a heavy time in his life, however it
additionally properly depicts Frederick Douglass as a capable author with deeply coherent thoughts.
Through the utilization of irony, distinctive syntax, wordy diction, and intelligent metaphors,
Frederick Douglass exhibits his ability to eloquently categorical himself and his personal strife.
Irony is present during this essay as Frederick Douglass describes his previous teaching things. as an
example, though he was bond at the time of his teaching, he explains to the reader that he carried
loaves of bread once sent on errands so he might barter for Associate in Nursing impromptu reading
lesson from native kids. He admits "I was far better off during this regard than several of the poor
white kids in our neighborhood" (Douglass 101). This statement is ironic as a result of Frederick
Douglass himself would presumptively be within the worse position, however instead, whilst a 12–
year–old acknowledges what very little benefits he will have. Character traits like these are
indicative of
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In the personal narrative "Learning to Read and Write", Frederick Douglass discusses what he
experienced living in his master's house during slavery and the hardships he had to endure while
learning how to read and write. Mr. Douglass was an African American who was very engaged with
the outside world around him. A feeling of empathy is displayed throughout the story as Douglass
explains to African Americans the importance of learning how to read and write. He uses ethos,
logos and pathos to portray his argument to the reader and to also reveal the evil tactics of slavery.
Frederick Douglass directs his central argument to two individuals, one being African Americans
and the other being White Americans. He continued stating things such as "I was compelled to resort
to various stratagems (page1 pg.1)" and "Thus, after a long, tedious effort for
...show more content...
The sentences above prove just how complicated it really was for enslaved Douglass. It shows the
trials and tribulations he had to withstand in order to be literacy correct. His perseverance show us
how significant it is for slaves to learn how to read and write. It's obvious to that his other audience
were White Americans because of his contrasting within the passage. He discuss how his mistress
went from being a pleasant, enjoyable human being to an unkind, malicious individual kind of like
Cruella de Vil. This was simply because her and her spouse were slaveholders which escalated to
her husband's naughty ways and wrongdoings rubbing off on her. As the story states, "Slavery soon
proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities (page1 pg.2)." This shows how slavery can
result
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In the narrative excerpt "Learning to Read and Write" (1845), which originally came from the
autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass recapitulates his
journey into the coming of literacy that shifts his point to how slavery really is. Douglass develops
and supports his main idea by providing a flashback of his own experience as a slave learning to
read and write and through dialogue with rhetorical appeals, such as ethos, pathos, and logos.
Douglass' apparent purpose is to retell his story of the obstacles he faced to finally become a free
man to guide and prompt other fellow slaves to finally take action for their freedom; he also wants
to establish a foundation in which people of higher power, such as abolitionists, are more aware of
the slavery situation. The intended audience for this excerpt is the general public of the time
consisting of fellow slaves, slave owners, and abolitionists; the relationship Douglass establishes
with the audience is equivalent to a news reporter and the people receiving the message–he exposes
the truth to them. 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. Frederick Douglass utilizes the three rhetorical appeals–ethos, pathos, and
logos–to justify his development into earning his freedom by absorbing the two abilities of literacy.
He establishes credibility by illustrating his perspective as a slave learning to read and write, even
though it was forbidden. Douglass depicts, "The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was
most successful, was that of making friends of all the
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Frederick Douglass 's Learning Of Read And Write
Fredrick Douglass's "Learning to Read and Write", gives readers insight into the struggles of being a
slave with intelligence, but more importantly into his experience. In his essay, Douglass shows how
he fought to obtain knowledge; however, a reading of his story will reveal that what he learned
changed him for the better. Michael Scott, a former EOF student read the story and believed that
Douglass's intelligence was a destructive and to a certain degree pointless. Contrary to Scott's
statement, Douglass's knowledge wasn't more of a curse than a blessing. Being a slave was
everyone's curse. Douglass went into depression because he hadn't had the same experience as other
slaves and finally felt what it was really like to be a slave when he was punished for his knowledge.
However just because his knowledge is what got him into trouble doesn't necessarily make him,
being an intelligent slave; a curse nor does it mean that he had absolutely no alternatives to his
condition. In fact, he above most other slaves had the upper hand when it came to creating his own
alternative. Douglass's intelligence helped him become autodidactic, manipulate situations to benefit
him, and develop an ambition to become free. As individuals we all get to make our own decisions
so when the mistress stopped teaching Douglass; it was Douglass's dedication to his education that
drove him to teach himself what she would not. The mistress made a conscious decision to teach
Douglass the alphabet. She had
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