Literacy is defined as a person’s knowledge of a subject of field or the possession of education by dictionary.com. During slavery times, slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write. Frederick Douglass was an exception to this standard. Douglass acquired his education into his own hands after he could no longer be taught how to read and write and was determined to expand his mind beyond the slave mindset that he had been taught. Douglass did not turn his back on his people, instead, he wanted to better himself so he could teach them what they did not know. Within the text, there are many instances in which literacy and education is evoked. Douglass does not become a “reproduction of the white culture” and there are three major passages
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He does conform by using the language that it understood by slave owners and his fellow slaves but it is for the greater good. During the time when slavery was prevalent, it was important that the slaves did as they were told. Douglass was doing as he was told and it resulted in another door being opened for him to expand his horizons. Douglass had to learn what he could learn for the time being to educate the next slave with the information that he was taught. The slave-owners knew that literacy and knowledge was the “slaves’ pathway to freedom”. For a person or group to gain and maintain full control over a person or group of people, they must first oppress them mentally and convert them to their ways of thinking. Once control is exerted, the oppressor has complete control over those being oppressed. The reverse happened with Douglass hence his literacy. He was mentally captive and freed and had an understanding as to what slavery was and why it was wrong. Throughout his journey to literacy and freedom, Douglass used all possible resources including the friends he met. In the passage, Douglass states “As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers”. This exhibits his thirst for knowledge because he quickly learned that he had to exchange things for the knowledge he wanted and in this case, it was bread in exchange for a lesson. This also shows that he is aware of the
He does conform by using the language that it understood by slave owners and his fellow slaves but it is for the greater good. During the time when slavery was prevalent, it was important that the slaves did as they were told. Douglass was doing as he was told and it resulted in another door being opened for him to expand his horizons. Douglass had to learn what he could learn for the time being to educate the next slave with the information that he was taught. The slave-owners knew that literacy and knowledge was the “slaves’ pathway to freedom”. For a person or group to gain and maintain full control over a person or group of people, they must first oppress them mentally and convert them to their ways of thinking. Once control is exerted, the oppressor has complete control over those being oppressed. The reverse happened with Douglass hence his literacy. He was mentally captive and freed and had an understanding as to what slavery was and why it was wrong. Throughout his journey to literacy and freedom, Douglass used all possible resources including the friends he met. In the passage, Douglass states “As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers”. This exhibits his thirst for knowledge because he quickly learned that he had to exchange things for the knowledge he wanted and in this case, it was bread in exchange for a lesson. This also shows that he is aware of the