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Frederick Douglass Importance Of Education

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The autobiographical novel detailing Frederick Douglass’ life as a slave, titled The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave gave insight into the idea that obtaining knowledge does, in fact, prompt one to strive for more. Ecclesiastes, one of 24 books in the Tanakh, challenges this notion: “For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow” (Ecclesiastes). Based on the writings and experiences of Douglass, it can instead be concluded that with knowledge brings more self-worth as well as a higher understanding of oneself. The acquirement of important life skills, such as learning how to read, will undoubtedly incline a person to use their newfound comprehension to obtain more knowledge. That being said, when Douglass was taught how to read by his mistress, his master grew angry. “If you give a n-- an inch, he will take an ell. A n-- should know nothing but to obey his master-- to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best n-- in the world.” (Douglass 29) Douglass’ master was aware that learning how to read and write could expand his desire for more in life and ultimately trigger a rebellion. …show more content…

“I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.” (Douglass 85) Without knowing right from wrong one cannot strive for their own

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How Did Frederick Douglass Contribute To Education

302 Words | 2 Pages

Douglass’s passion to gain knowledge motivated him to teach himself how to read and write; however, Wright’s knowledge developed from being able to go to school and so this is indicative of Douglass experiencing education far worse than Wright. According to Douglass, it was prohibited for slaves to be educated. Since slaves did not have access to an education, Douglass had to find ways to self-teach himself. By virtue of Douglass’s learning, he asserts that: “All the little white boys whom I met in the street… I converted [them] into teachers… [and] I finally succeeded in learning how to read” (Douglass 146).

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Figurative Language In Mother To Son And Frederick Douglass's Autobiography

678 Words | 3 Pages

Learning to read as a slave was a lot like climbing up the staircase described because they had to teach themselves and the other people didn’t want them to learn so it was very difficult but the ones who kept trying were able to learn eventually. In Fredrick Douglass’s Autobiography, the text describes how Frederick felt after knowing about the evils of slavery after reading. He describes how he felt anguish pain and depression at the thought of being a slave. He says that sometimes he wished that he would be stupid again or that he would turn into some type of lizard instead of knowing how to read. This shows how learning to read is a risk not just in trying to learn how but in the things that could happen after you learn how to

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Turning Point In Frederick Douglass

633 Words | 3 Pages

In particular, when Douglass learned to read he began reading documents that contained argument against slavery and in doing so, he became conscious of the true horror of slavery. He writes, “I often found myself regretting my own existence and wishing myself dead…” (ch. VII). However, he continues, saying “...and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself…”(ch.

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Frederick Douglass Why I Learned To Read And Write Analysis

582 Words | 3 Pages

Slaves obtaining knowledge or an education were then viewed as unmanageable. One can see that through Frederick Douglass’s gain of education; Slavery began to look more than an imprisonment and his mind would not cease to think. With this depressing state of mind, Douglass would begin to plot for ways to obtain his education. Despite living in a country were teaching slaves was unpardonable, Frederick Douglass began to incorporate various ways for his education. He would hide in a separate room and would be suspected by his mistress that he could be reading a book.

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Acquisition Of Literacy In Frederick Douglass

347 Words | 2 Pages

The acquisition of literacy was so important to Frederick douglass because it was something he couldn’t have. Douglass first realized he craved education when his mistress stopped teaching him. Douglass thought of reading as a curse, “It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out” (24). He could see the potential an education gave a person, but because he was a slave, there lies a large obstacle that allowed him to maximize his potential. Douglass asked the white boys who were being handed an education to carry their books so he could read and learn from them.

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Frederick Douglass Learning To Read Essay

498 Words | 2 Pages

According to Mistress Hugh, “education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (Douglass, 33). Although Mistress Hugh had stopped teaching Douglass how to read, the seed of knowledge had already been planted. In the years that followed, his hunger for knowledge did not dissipate. Douglass devised various methods to learn to read and write in very clever ways.

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Frederick Douglass Historiography

945 Words | 4 Pages

This shows that the slave owners knew that it was unnatural to condition someone to be a slave. They knew that by simply becoming educated, they would no longer fit the mold, forever. Douglass heard this and understood that the way to escape slavery would be to learn to read and write. Ultimately, becoming educated did give Frederick Douglass the courage to escape (1, 34)

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Frederick Douglass: Overcoming Obstacles

392 Words | 2 Pages

African-American slaves were forbidden to obtain the knowledge of being able to read or write, stemming from the fear of white masters that educated slaves will overpower them. Douglass managed to learn to read by bribing poor and hungry white boys into teaching him in exchange for bits of bread. Douglass illustrates his thirst for literacy through “[The] bread [he] used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give [him] that more valuable bread of knowledge” (pg 23). This reveals how much Douglass valued education and took advantage of all the knowledge he had access to. Today’s youth, especially the ones belonging to a minority

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Frederick Douglass Psychological Abuse

1489 Words | 6 Pages

In Douglass’s narratives, when he was sent to his new master in Baltimore, he met a kind mistress who treated him as a person but not a property. Douglass described his new mistress “her face was made of heavenly smiles, and her voice of tranquil music” (Douglass, page 19). During Douglass was staying in Baltimore, his mistress taught him writing and reading. Thanks to his patient mistress’s teaching, Douglass began to learn more and more thing from books and other people. Everything was happy until Douglass’s master knew that Douglass’s mistress taught Douglass, and the master warned mistress that her behavior was dangerous and unsafe because teaching slaves to read were discouraged or prohibited.

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Frederick Douglass Importance Of Reading Essay

722 Words | 3 Pages

To the common scholar, reading is the foundation for the enormous structure entitled “knowledge”. To the slave of the 1800’s, reading was a curse, a source of worry for him and his wellbeing. Frederick Douglass so brilliantly exemplifies this in his self-written biography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. However, his apparently minor inconvenience in the timeline of the history of man is greatly minimized by the fruits which it brought forth. Reading may have been the temporary source of pain for Douglass, but it was a permanent blessing, both historically and politically, for those who followed.

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Essay On Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

973 Words | 4 Pages

Because of this, he successfully creates a contrast between what the slave owners think of and treat the slaves and how they are. Douglass says that slave’s minds were “starved by their cruel masters”(Douglass, 48) and that “they had been shut up in mental darkness” (Douglass, 48) and through education, something that they were deprived of, Frederick Douglass is able to open their minds and allow them to flourish into the complex people that they are. By showing a willingness to learn to read and write, the slaves prove that they were much more than what was forced upon them by their masters.

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Frederick Douglass Views On The Importance Of Education

1727 Words | 7 Pages

With all the knowledge he was gaining, he began to comprehend everything around him. The things he was learning fascinated him, but the “more [he] read, the more [he] was led to abhor and detest [his] enslavers”(Douglass 35); however, that should not be viewed as a negative affect but a positive one. No one should want to be deceived for their entire life. This hatred that he built up motivated him to continue to further educate himself. As a result, he later motivated other slaves to earn an education by having “[availed] themselves to [an] opportunity to learn to read” (Douglass 69) by Douglass teaching them every Sunday.

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Frederick Douglass Importance Of Education

836 Words | 4 Pages

Human slavery requires ignorance, just as an individual’s freedom, from oppression, requires knowledge attained by education. To maintain order and control over slaves, slavery demands ignorant slaves; thus, keeping slaves ignorant prevents slaves from recognizing the empowering value of education and education’s ability to liberate slaves from the effects of ignorance. Frederick Douglass’s pursuit of education helped him discover the dark, hidden truths of slavery in his article, “How I Learned to Read and Write.” Thus, the pursuit of education inspires a desire for freedom. The desire to learn generates determination and motivation.

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The Power Of Education In A Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

1673 Words | 7 Pages

However, literacy turns out to be not only bliss, but also painful. Indeed, while learning to read Frederick becomes more and more aware of the injustices of slavery, and this leads him to regret this knowledge “Learning how to read had become a curse rather than a blessing” ( Douglass ) . Douglass believes in the importance of education. He thinks that education is a key part to our life; it is the only way to get freedom. Literacy is very powerful because it can set anyone free to pursue dreams.

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Importance Of Reading Frederick Douglass

400 Words | 2 Pages

Knowledge is a very important essential of life because it help us understand and learn through our experience and education by discovering new things. Reading and writing help Frederick Douglass to form and articulate his ideas about slavery by discovering the true meaning behind the word “abolitionist,” which led him the to find freedom. Moving to Baltimore helped Douglass find opportunities at a young age. He realized how important reading was when his masters got upset when he was learning how to read, which gave him the need to learn in order to find out the true freedom behind life. Learning how to read was important to Douglass life because he started to figure out how to read newspapers and books when he was left alone.

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