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Examples Of Enlightenment In Learning To Read By Frederick Douglass

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The Truth of Enlightenment
In Learning to Read by Frederick Douglass, he states that, “Learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing” (230). The connotation of the word curse gives people the feeling that reading can torment them and never leave them alone. For such a strong word to be utilized, it seems as if knowledge can physically and emotionally bring pain to people that did not expect its effects. Learning how to read is a form of enlightenment that pushes people toward a valuable education and consideration of the world around them. Unfortunately, some people may not acknowledge that there are several reasons as to why enlightenment is worthwhile. The type of pain is not explicitly explained either. Although enlightenment …show more content…

Frederick Douglass and his description of learning how to read is an example of a terrifying pursuit of knowledge that ended up haunting him. Douglass recounted that reading “Torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish…It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out” (230). For Douglass, learning how to read brought a current of negative emotions because he finally realized how he would never get the freedom he desired. Moreover, enlightenment caused him to feel a sense of overwhelming pain because there was nothing he could do. Douglass applies words with negative connotation like sting, anguish, and horrible to depict how painful it is to finally discover the truth. The feeling of being trapped came from being under the control of a force that he could not fight, even with the knowledge he desired. Many people may argue that the pain that he felt will not disappear quickly, and they are partially wrong. Douglass will carry the burden of knowing he was not free in one point of his life, yet he also moved past it and created wonderful pieces of literature to prove his voice could be

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