Frederic Douglass and Mark Twain on Education Education is a privilege. The knowledge gained through education enables an individual’s potential to be optimally utilized owing to training of the human mind, and enlarge their view over the world. Both “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” by Frederick Douglass himself and “Old Times on the Mississippi” by Mark Twain explore the idea of education. The two autobiographies are extremely different; one was written by a former slave, while the other was written by a white man. Hence, it is to be expected that both men had had different motivations to get an education, and different processes of acquiring education. Their results of education, however, were fairly similar. Frederick Douglass …show more content…
Their education had given them a new perspective of everything around them—a glimpse to a whole new world. Upon learning to read, Douglass began to realize how an education could ruin slaves. With education, comes enlightenment, and for him his enlightenment was the realization to the injustices going on around him. With him finally being able to read, he understood more fully the implications of slavery sometimes served to make him more miserable as he came to comprehend the hopelessness of the situation for himself and the other slaves. He states in his narrative, “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. I have often wished myself a beast. I preferred the condition of the meanest reptile to my own. Any thing, no matter what, to get rid of thinking! It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me” (268) because he realized that his knowledge came at a cost—he knew that there was nothing normal and right about slavery, yet he had to live as one—whatever knowledge he had attained, festered in his mind and made him even unhappier with the conditions and treatment than …show more content…
Douglass’ was to free himself from slaver, while Twain’s was to come back to his village with glory. Everyone also had different ways to get an education—Douglass’ was to learn from the white children in his neighborhood secretly, while Twain’s was handed to him by Mr. B. But the different ways of learning do not really matter, as their education resulted in them realizing that knowledge would not always bring beauty to life, if anything, knowledge would usually strip the beauty off life. I guess, knowledge is not all it’s cracked up to
Literacy plays an important part in helping Douglass achieve his freedom. Learning to read and write enlightened his mind to the injustice of slavery; it kindled in his heart longings for liberty. Douglass’s skills proved instrumental in his attempts to escape and afterwards in his mission as a spokesman against slavery. Douglass was motivated to learn how to read by hearing his master condemn the education of slaves. Mr. Auld declared that education would “spoil” him and “forever unfit him to be a slave” (2054).
Although both Twain and Douglass both lived in the south, Douglass was a slave and, therefore, faced greater hardships than did Twain. While Twain was preoccupied about becoming steamboat captain, Douglass was experiencing more dire troubles such as having “no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees” (Douglass). As a free, white male, Twain’s biggest worry was not accomplishing his goal of becoming a steamboat pilot (Twain). Another difference is the use of joyful and troubling memories. While Twain ends his narrative in despair because he “somehow… could not manage…” to become a steamboat pilot, Douglass ends his narrative in the hopeful and thankful tone of a freed slave. Douglass proclaims “this good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise”(Douglass). Finally, another narrative technique that differs Twain from Douglass is that Twain speaks for all of the boys of his town while Douglass only recounts his own experiences. According to Twain, “when I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboatman.”(Twain). Douglass, although alluding to other slaves, does not depict their desires nor does he show a kinship with them. Douglass’
According to Douglass, the treatment of a slave was worse than that of an animal. Not only were they valued as an animal, fed like an animal, and beaten like an animal, but also a slave was reduced to an animal when he was just as much of a man as his master. The open mentality a slave had was ...
Gaining mental emancipation also made him a man. He had the power of knowledge and yet he didn't know the impact of being literate. He wasn't ready to have his world open right in front of him. Being able to read opened Douglass' eyes to what slavery really was. "He got the bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights."*(278) He saw things that he would have never seen if he had remained ignorant. He saw all the horrors and sadness of his life as a slave. He wasn't quite ready for the harsh realities that he was then exposed to. He felt that his master, Master Hugh, was right. Douglass learning to read brought him the discontentment, torment and anguish that Master Hugh said would follow if a slave learned how to read.* (279) The visions that Douglass saw was really affecting him. He saw things he never saw before. Dou...
...nineteenth century. Douglass was given some education and worked on it by himself after lessons ceased. Slaves who had any education were a rarity in the south. By taking away any opportunity for a better life, slave holders controlled every aspect of a slave’s life. However, after some education, Frederick longed for a life out of slavery. He realized he not only had to have a sound mind, but also a sound body and soul. The will to leave his old life behind was as important to education in obtaining his freedom. Frederick had many experiences that coincided with the average life of a southern slave during his time in captivity. However, after his escape, his life was very different from slaves who had obtained freedom by some means. Frederick Douglass became one the most prominent men in his time due to his hard work and determination he gained from being a slave.
... and unhappy (Douglass 78).” Learning how to read was as big a step towards freedom for Douglass as it was back. It made him aware of the circumstances but it also made him realize how difficult it would be for him to ever find himself a free man. However, knowledge overpowers ignorance in the sense that his masters could never take his ability to read away from him and because Douglass now knew his condition, he knew that he deserved a better life.
In the book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, Douglass explained his “slave years” thoroughly. How he got hurt many times by his slaveholder without any reason, physically and mentally, and how can he get out of this slavery. He also revealed how he stepped out on his fear zone by starting to learn how to read and write. Although learning to read and write was against the law, this is the only way to get out of slavery. He even challenged white kids to prove that he was not ignorant. Even though most of the questions he answered were incorrect, the white kids will give Douglass the right answer and right pronunciation of things. In this case, Douglass was slowly learning new things and correcting mistakes that he made. He started to lose hope because of the consequences that he received when his slaveholder found out that he was attempting to have an education. That was when Douglass realized that the key to have freedom is to have an education. It will be useless to have a slave that knows the same knowledge as their master. It reached to the point where he can write his own pass to travel to another state and have a new life there. Even though Douglass was crushed when he left his friends and loved ones on the state of slaves, he stayed his feet on the ground and did the best that he can in order to reach freedom for his fellow slaves. According to Douglass, “I honor those good men and women for their noble daring, and applaud them for willingly subjecting themselves to bloody persecution, by openly avowing their participation in the escape of slaves” (107). Some people will devote their lives to participate of freeing slaves because they knew that they will die for a cause, they will die with honor and respect knowing they did something
He is able to capture that moment of joy and revelation by saying: “ It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom.”. Douglass realizes that he has grown over his years as a slave and fully understands the factors that enslave him. Furthermore, he uses contrary to display his understanding, such as : “ Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident I had gained from my master”. Douglass is able to reflect himself off of others and he learns from that reflection. Douglass further proves this by saying” The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering”. He shows to the readers that he is now able to learn from other’s and their mistakes, which presents to use levels of development. Douglass ends it off by using more antithesis such as “ What he most dreaded, that I most
Slaves were forbidden to read and slave owners were forbidden to teach slaves to read and write. The existence of such a restriction on educating slaves is proof that the slaveholders felt a need to suppress the capabilities of slaves. As a slave, Douglass was given the opportunity to learn and elevate his status only to have all that, including the invitation to join "high" society snatched away. Such a tease and broken promise of a better day proved to be more than Douglass could bear. He devoted each of his idle moments to mastering the language arts. In addition, as if mastering it were not enough, Douglass meticulously educated other slaves in the English language of reading and writing. Douglass' action was indicative of the significance found in literacy. If he had not put literacy at such high esteem, he would not have taken the time to continue his education and persuade others to pursue theirs. Douglass knew first hand that education was a effective tool of empowerment especially to slaves—those who had spent their lives without any power. This separation of man from education was a control issue and reclaiming control meant education one's self and his or her peers. Through educating his peers, Douglass demonstrated his knowledge of the underlying power in literacy.
Frederick Douglass’s “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave” recounts the life of Frederick Douglass as a slave on his journey to finding freedom. As a slave, he was treated as a second-rate citizen and was not taught how to be literate. Literacy is the ability to read and write. Slaves were robbed of the privilege of reading and writing and thus robbed of any educational means. Without these educational means, slaves were not allowed to grow in society and have a sense of capability within society. Instead, slaves were suppressed by the white man as property and forced to labor as the lowest part of society. Literacy is the education that separates humans from other forms of life and whites from slaves. Literacy
Both Frederick Douglas and David Walker wrote against slavery. Frederick Douglas used his personal account as an enslaved man to share the evils of slavery and get his voice heard. His work is written like a novel with his commentary on the situations and his beliefs as the story continues. While the slave narrative was a large piece in the abolitionist movement, David Walker chooses a different approach than others. He wrote an Appeal, much like a legal document in which he argued his personal viewpoints against the institution of slavery but with a great deal of imagery. Although both works are abolitionist literature, the content and type of work are different from one another. The works have similarities and differences and also serve to
In the essay “Learning to Read and Write,” Frederick Douglass illustrates how he successfully overcome the tremendous difficulties to become literate. He also explains the injustice between slavers and slaveholders. Douglass believes that education is the key to freedom for slavers. Similarly, many of us regard education as the path to achieve a career from a job.
America, a land with shimmering soil where golden dust flew and a days rain of money could last you through eternity. Come, You Will make it in America. That was the common theme of those who would remove to America. It is the common hymn, the classic American rags-to-riches myth, and writers such as Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass had successfully embraced it in their works.Franklin and Douglass are two writers who have quite symmetrical styles and imitative chronology of events in their life narratives.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, brings to light many of the social injustices that colored men, women, and children all were forced to endure throughout the nineteenth century under Southern slavery laws. Douglass's life-story is presented in a way that creates a compelling argument against the justification of slavery. His argument is reinforced though a variety of anecdotes, many of which detailed strikingly bloody, horrific scenes and inhumane cruelty on the part of the slaveholders. Yet, while Douglas’s narrative describes in vivid detail his experiences of life as a slave, what Douglass intends for his readers to grasp after reading his narrative is something much more profound. Aside from all the physical burdens of slavery that he faced on a daily basis, it was the psychological effects that caused him the greatest amount of detriment during his twenty-year enslavement. In the same regard, Douglass is able to profess that it was not only the slaves who incurred the damaging effects of slavery, but also the slaveholders. Slavery, in essence, is a destructive force that collectively corrupts the minds of slaveholders and weakens slaves’ intellects.
However, some of our past generations weren’t able to receive an education, due to being in a poor income family, or during pre civil war time, were the slaves weren’t able to have any education.This was the case for Frederick Douglass, He wrote about his journey of how was able to learn how to read and write in his essay How I Learned to Read and Write. Douglass wrote about how he was a slave child pre civil war time, and how the wife of his master been secretly instructed him how to read and write. That until his master found out, and put an end to it. Back then slave owners though if their slaves had an education, than they would be able to think for themselves and be an educated human being. However, Douglass didn’t let his master stop him from learning how to read and write, he continued his education by observing those around him, and by sneaking in the room of his owner’s son, and using the son’s old copy-books. “During this time, my copy-book was the board fence, brick wall, and pavement; my pen and ink was a lump of chalk” (275). Growing up, my mother grow up in the country of Guatemala, She had grown up not having many materials to have an education, but she had never let that hold her back. My mother had worked hard with the little things she had around her, and was able to graduate high school and move to