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Frederick Douglass Education Essay

1305 Words6 Pages

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” The institution of slavery was an extremely contentious ideal throughout the 1800’s. Slavery was a regular part of society as the brutal treatment of African Americans was looked upon as acceptable. Prominent figures such as: Abraham Lincoln, Dred Scott, Frederick Douglass truly placed an importance on how inhumane slavery was through speeches, court cases, and narratives. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was an autobiography that tells a story about the life of Frederick Douglass from when he was born a slave to his escape to freedom. Douglass truly paints the idea of what it is like to be a slave, what is was like being the lowest of the low, and how African …show more content…

An education is one of the most valuable items one can possess and that is something that will never change. Douglass noticed that slaves were not permitted to learn or read because it would ultimately lead to them being able to think on their own. Most African Americans only knew slavery and that was all they would ever know. Although learning would present Douglass with the harsh reality of his and his peers situation, he realized this was a key component to freedom. Douglass mentions, “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). As Douglass began to learn, he noticed the brutal state that he was currently in which was extremely hard for him to cope with yet he realized how important it was to keep learning. My uncle, Malcolm, is an African American. Over the years, he has told me his story of his life which marked a transition from a rough childhood to a very successful adulthood. He expresses to me how important gaining an education was for him. If Malcolm had not gone to college, he believes that his life would have been filled with crime and neglect, much like his childhood. Both Douglass and Malcolm realized that education was vital to moving on in a positive direction life. Despite being in different time periods, the narrative still connects with the present almost exactly as many minorities seek education as their stepping stone to creating a life of

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The Narrative of Frederick Douglass is a very great perspective for people of today to understand what it was like to be a slave in the 1800’s. It tells the story of the slave Frederick Douglass and how he began as an uneducated slave and was moved around from many different types of owners, cruel or nice, and how his and other slaves presences changed the owners, and also how he educated himself and realized that he shouldn’t be treated so poorly It was at the point later in the book that I realized how some slaves might have felt during slavery in the 1800’s. When Douglass is sent away to Mr.Covey he is treated pretty badly but eventually he stands up to Mr.Covey and demands that he stopped being treated like an animal.

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In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. We can evidently see that Douglass does not want to describe only his life, but he uses his personal experiences and life story as a tool to rise against slavery. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery.

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Education is a key. Not many can find it, but those who do can unlock the door to endless knowledge. Abolitionist leader and American slave, Frederick Douglass, in his autobiography A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, contemplates the enslavement he endured while emphasizing the importance of education as a key to freedom. Throughout Douglass’ educational awakening and his realization of its overall power, he comes to understand the slaveholder’s evil doings in keeping all slaves trapped in ignorance.

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793 Words | 4 Pages

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962 Words | 4 Pages

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836 Words | 4 Pages

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