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Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Research Paper

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Helen Moak Mrs. Streit Honors English 11 (2A) 14 December 2022 Education: Blessing or Curse? In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass writes a personal narrative about his experience with slavery and how he ultimately achieved freedom. Born into a life of slavery, Douglass fought for education in addition to fighting for emancipation. He sought this mental liberation by teaching himself how to read, then sharing this ability with other enslaved people. Although Douglass was empowered by his education, he discovered that enlightenment can create a new type of confinement. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass describes educational experiences throughout his life to suggest that knowledge can be both …show more content…

During his time in Baltimore with the Auld family, Douglass began reading newspapers and books for the first time. As he read the writings of others, their words “gave tongue to interesting thoughts of [his] own soul”(54). Through exposure to the writing of others, Douglass was able to put words to his own ideas. Douglass’s literacy empowered him by giving him the tools to form and develop his own opinions. In this way, education was freeing and had a positive impact on Douglass’s life. At a later point in the book, during Douglass’s adult life, Douglass provided reading classes for enslaved people in the surrounding area. These slaves “had been shut up in mental darkness” because they had very little or no education(90). Douglass had no obligation to teach them, but he taught them “because it was the delight of [his] soul to be doing something that looked like bettering the condition of [his] race”(90). Frederick Douglass’ education served him by giving him the ability to educate others. By sharing his literacy with other enslaved people, Douglass experienced personal fulfillment and improved the lives of those he taught. In multiple parts of his life, Douglass’ education grants greater freedom and happiness to himself and those surrounding

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Douglass’ audience consists of white men, which hints that very few slaves knew how to read. His story desired an end to slavery. He tries to inform individuals of the hardships he endured as a slave. For example, when discussing the steps he went through to read and write, Douglass comments, “The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many as I could convert into teachers” (62).

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