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Frederick douglass reflection on his journey
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In the essays, “The Joy of Reading and Writing; Superman and Me” and Frederick Douglass’s “Chapter 7: Learning to Read and Write”, Sherman Alexie and Frederick Douglass write about their hardships and challenges they faced while learning how to read and write due to their social economic status. Despite the fact that Alexie and Douglass are incredibly different people, they both use education for freedom and a sense of self-worth. Alexie and Douglass both struggled to receive education and struggled mentally and physically because of their social economic status. Although, Alexie and Douglass both experienced these hardships, they saw the world through a totally different perspective. Alexie saw the world in a more positive manner than Douglass
The narrative by Frederick Douglass titled, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, indicates how whites controlled their slaves, by preventing them how to read and write. I believe that this was the main theme that Douglass wanted to let readers know; the cruelty the whites had against all the slaves. The slave owners prevented the young slaves to learn how to read and write because they did not want any slave writing about their slave life. They controlled slaves by trying to keep them away from gaining knowledge like knowing their birthday, where they came from, or who their parents were. While reading stories like Frederick Douglass’ narrative I start picturing the lives of slaves
Many of us take education for granted and don’t learn to our fullest potential, but Fredrick Douglass soaked in every piece of information up because he knew it was his way out. “Learning to Read and Write” is a famous article based on what Fredrick Douglass went through to earn a valuable education while being enslaved. Author Fredrick Douglass, wrote “Learning to Read and Write”, published in 1845. Throughout the article, he takes us through different events he goes through while being enslaved. Douglass begins building his credibility with personal facts and successfully demonstrating logic and pathos appeal.
Douglass writing skills are further conveyed as magnificent through his logic-based argument. His logic-based argument comes through proving himself valid and credible, and developing uniform lines of reasoning. First and foremost, his validity is established early on, when he describes his background in vast amount of detail and even truthfully exclaims how he was separated from his parents, but that had an effect of which he did “not know” of and thus very miniscule. The reader carries many details about Douglass’ childhood, and Douglass illustrates the truth on how the separation did not affect him that much gains more credibility for him. The reason being is any slave who just starts off the narrative by complaining about his separation
Suly Alejandre English 120 11 September 2016 “Critical Reading Response “ In the excerpt “Learning to Read and Write”, Frederick Douglass who was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, writer and statesman, illustrates the hardships that he endured during the era of slavery to be able to become literate. Douglass supports his assertion by reminiscing about his childhood struggles not only through the inherent hate and oppression in slavery but also the gradual learning process he developed himself and by being able to overcome slavery. Douglass starts to talk about the poor children “ when he would be sent to do errands he would always take his book and would carry bread that he used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins,
While reading Fredrick Douglass “Learning to Read and Write” a passage that stood out to me, was that he figured out a plan to learn how to read by making friends and turning them into to his teachers so he could expand his knowledge. A quote that I love in this passage was “This bread I used to bestow upon hungry little urchins, who, in return would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge” (Douglass,22). Which me when he gives them their bread what he gets in return is a gift also as well, which is the gift of knowledge. I was so struck about this passage is because do to his circumstances he knew that he wants to learn how to read and write and he would not give him up on himself to better expand his reading. The idea in this passage is so important to me, don’t give up on your education if you can find ways to expand it, you should do it.
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.
Frederick Douglass in his narrative “Why I learned to Read and Write” demonstrates how he surpassed many obstacles along the way towards getting an education. These obstacles not only shaped Frederick’s outlook on life but also influenced him in his learning to read and write. Frederick’s main challenge was that of not being an owner of his person but rather a slave and a property to someone else. Frederick Douglass lived in the time when slavery was still taking place and slaveholders viewed slavery and education as incompatible. The slave system didn’t allow mental or physical freedom for slaves; slaveholders were to keep the apt appearance and slaves were to remain ignorant.
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.
Reading about Frederick Douglass 's struggle to learn to read and write reminded me of some difficulties I faced when I was also trying to learn. All throughout elementary school, I had to take a speech therapy class to help me learn to read. It was very difficult to learn how to read some words because of my speech impediment. However, I worked a little harder each day to sound words out right and before I knew it, I was able to read and write just as good as every other student. In a way, Douglass and I both had some difficulties we had to push through to be able to learn to read and write but if you work hard enough anything is possible.
The legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was one of the most important social reformers of the nineteenth century. Being born into slavery on a Maryland Eastern Shore plantation to his mother, Harriet Bailey, and a white man, most likely Douglass’s first master was the starting point of his rise against the enslavement of African-Americans. Nearly 200 years after Douglass’s birth and 122 years after his death, The social activist’s name and accomplishments continue to inspire the progression of African-American youth in modern society. Through his ability to overcome obstacles, his strive for a better life through education, and his success despite humble beginnings, Frederick Douglass’s aspirations stretched his influence through
“Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass is a personal narrative which describes a specific time in his childhood when he was learning to read and write. Born as a slave in the pre-Civil War south, Douglass was not expected to be literate. However, through strong ambition, Douglass overcame restrictions and stereotypes placed on slaves and taught himself to read and write. Later in his life, Frederick Douglass wrote down this story in his book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845. Today, students and adults can enjoy this narrative on how he overcame the struggles of learning how to read and write.
In many countries living in extremely poor conditions, not only is basic health an issue but also the lack of education. Although it is a necessity, “more than 72 million children of primary education age are not in school and 759 million adults are illiterate” (Rights to Education 1). The deprivation of education should be taken serious if a change is wanted. People need to become aware of how important education is and the benefit that it has.
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.
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.
