Chains of Literacy: Frederick Douglass's Freedom Journey

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Recommended: Analysis of the Frederick Douglass American slaves

Often when we think of slavery in the 1800’s we associate the concept with only black slaves. However in the book of Uncle Tom’s Cabin we see that if mister Shelby wasn’t a slave owner and owed the debts to Haley, he has been just as likely to become a slave working for Haley. It is we arrive at the question what does it mean to be free and how do we obtain it. We will be looking at Frederick Douglass’s definition of slavery and how he overcame it through increasing his own literacy as a result of reading. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and is brought up knowing very little about what separates him from the rest. This however does not keep him from his desire to be different from everyone around him. Early on he develops an idea that of “Positive Liberty,” which means one that can control his own destiny. Freedom is seen as positive because it offers a lot less restrains than what he was currently receiving from living on Anthony’s plantation. Anthony the plantation owner was most likely his father as it is often that the masters raped their slaves to produce more. Through anger and …show more content…

As he was living in the Auld’s household for about seven years, at the expensive of Mrs. Auld he was educated to read and write as a young boy. At Mr. Auld’s dismay the lessons and tutoring is forced to come to an end, even though we see the shared similarities between Mrs. Auld and Douglass. Similar to pharaoh’s situation, her heart has hardened as a result of her husband’s commands. By this time we know that Douglass possesses the knowledge of the alphabet, leaving nothing in his way for reading except the understanding of words. It is here that he makes an exchange for bread to the poor local boys who provide him with reading lessons. The boys themselves see that Douglass is no less a boy than they are except the separation of

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