How Does Frederick Douglass Explore The Power Of Education

Frederick Douglass explores the power of education. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass uses himself as an example in which a person having nothing as a slave becomes a free man eventually with the help of his literacy. While reading through Douglass’s story and its progression of events, readers can observe how the narrator’s initial desire for liberty arose from a desire for knowledge which ultimately supported him with the power crucial to breakout from his slavery. Douglass began his narrative by describing his ignorance of his birthday. As Douglass points out, his ignorance of knowing this seemingly simple and basic personal information “was a source of great unhappiness to me even during childhood” (Douglass, 17) as he strived to find out why he should be …show more content…
Auld, Douglass tried different ways he could to continue his education journey. Fortunately, he discovered some poor white children and exchanged his bread for reading lessons. At the meantime, Douglass found a book called “The Columbian Orator” at about his age of twelve years old. He could read the content and discovered the beacon of hope to freedom. In the book, Douglass learned deeper understanding of slavery. Various arguments of anti-slavery were discussed in the book. From there, Douglass grew his desire for knowledge into a desire for liberty. He could finally express and clarify the feelings and thoughts that had been hiding in his heart about the unfair treatment of slavery. Even though learning to read brought hope to Douglass, but at the same time, Douglass was painful and struggled daily as education revealed to Douglass the cruel truth of slavery. He also learned the truth of himself being under of a “wretched condition” (Douglass, 45). His thirst to freedom became stronger. “Freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever.” (Douglass, 46) He believed that the idea of freedom is his vision for a better