Frederick Douglass :: essays research papers

Frederick Douglass asserts that he, as an adolescent "understood the pathway from slavery to freedom" upon his comprehension of English reading. To modern-day audiences, this may be a hard concept to grasp, an individual reared from birth as a slave understanding the significance of literacy and equating such with freedom. His wisdom of this enormous concept can be explained as such by breaking the literacy barrier, Douglass raised his status (symbolic completelyy) from a subhuman, slave status, to human, a White equal. Because all humans are entitled to certain rights, his symbolic progression from slave to human affords those rights, in particular the right to freedom. Slaves were interdict to read and slave owners were forbidden to teach slaves to read and write. The existence of such a restriction on educating slaves is proof that the slaveholders felt a need to suppress the capabilities of slaves. As a slave, Douglass was wedded the opportunity to learn and elevate his status only to have all that, including the invitation to join "high" society snatched away. Such a tease and broken call off of a better day proved to be more than Douglass could bear. He devoted each of his idle moments to know the language arts. In addition, as if mastering it were non enough, Douglass meticulously educated other slaves in the English language of reading and writing. Douglass action was indicative of the significance found in literacy. If he had not put literacy at such high esteem, he would not have taken the time to continue his education and persuade others to pursue theirs. Douglass knew first pass on that education was a effective tool of empowerment especially to slavesthose who had spent their lives without any power. This separation of man from education was a support issue and reclaiming control meant education ones self and his or her peers. Through educating his peers, Douglass demonstrated his knowledge of the underlying power in lite racy. Douglass practiced not only reading but to a fault writing his English language.