Frederick Douglass Learning To Read And Write Analysis

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The general argument made by Frederick Douglass in his piece, “Learning to Read and Write,” is that, being articulate is a strong quality for any person, both black and white to possess. It was believed that education and slavery were to forever be in malice, what could possibly be more dangerous than the oppression and suppression of slavery itself, the answer to that is an educated slave, an articulate black man. Ignorance was bliss in the times of enslavement, nonetheless, by obtaining an education, enlightenment occurred. One could no longer view even the nicest of enslavers in a light which shone beauty upon them but rather in a distasteful shadow. Frederick Douglass was first given a taste of the sweet nectar of education by his mistress …show more content…

So he sought new teacher, teacher whom he found in the form of the poor white boys of the neighbourhood, whom he would encounter on his errands. On page 119 he states, “I used also to carry bread with me… This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” Both Frederick Douglass and the little white boys were hungry, they just had an appetite for different things. However, all that glitters is not gold. Douglass, after becoming educated, soon wished he had not as he was no longer able to swim in the ocean of ignorance, now, he was left to tread the long, rocky road of knowledge. As stated on page 121, “I would at times feel that learning to read was a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy… I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity… Anything, no matter what, to get rid of thinking! It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me.” Now fully aware of the injustice of his circumstances, and also his inability to take actions to counteract it, he was left feeling as though it would have been better to never have taken a bite of the forbidden fruit of

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