Frederick Douglass And Jhumpa Lahiri

Frederick Douglass once stated, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This simple yet profound statement is relevant to countless scenarios in life. For Douglass, this quote is a direct reflection of his time as a slave. Without the challenges of slavery, he never would have progressed into a famous writer and orator. Frederick Douglass’ words can also be applied to Jhumpa Lahiri in her literary work, “Trading Stories.” While Lahiri was not a slave, she also had to overcome her own personal struggles to progress in her writing career. Both Douglass’ “Learning to Read and Write” and Lahiri’s “Trading Stories” illustrate the torment, triumph, and struggle with existence felt by both authors on their journey to achieve their goals.

After Douglass taught himself how to write, he began to feel a sense of pride. He would often find himself in competitions with others. Douglass explains, “After that, when I met with any boy who I knew could write, I would tell him I could write as well as he” (Douglass 105). This is one example of Douglass regaining his sense of self-confidence. In addition, he formed relationships through reading and writing. He discusses how much respect and gratitude he has for the school boys who taught him how to read. Douglass also engaged in relationships through his writing competitions. In comparison, Lahiri also experienced great joy from writing. She experienced a sense of belonging in her everyday life, among her peers and her family. Lahiri credits writing with helping her form her very first friendships in school. Lahiri recalls, “When I began to make friends, writing was the vehicle” (Lahiri 3). Writing was an effective tool in her connection with others. In addition, Lahiri always battled with finding her true place. As an American whose first language is Bengali, she never completely fit in with her Bengali family or her American friends. A writing career was the perfect solution to these feelings of displacement because she could write anywhere. Lahiri makes this connection known in “Trading Stories,” writing, “When I became a writer my desk became home; there was no need for another” (Lahiri 9). Even though Douglass felt tremendous uncertainty from reading and Lahiri from writing, they were both able to overcome it due to the immense joy writing