Frederick Douglass wrote many autobiographies during his lifetime, however his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself has undoubtedly made the most impact on history. Seven years after Douglass' escape from slavery in Maryland, he published his narrative. This written critique of slavery that Douglass had been lecturing on around the country for many years was put into print and circulated around the country. Notably, while the narrative illustrates vivid details of his experiences of slavery, it also expresses his mental insights into relationship between a slave and his master, which is what makes the narrative so unique and important.
In the narrative, Douglass comes to the important realization that literacy is associated with not only one’s own consciousness, but also freedom. Consequently, Douglass strives to learn as much as possible and eventually learns how to write, which essentially provides him with a ticket to freedom. Due to his literacy, Douglass is able to integrate multiple complex literary devices into his narrative. This ability allows him to create his African-American identity in a very unique way, as his rhetorical power convinces the reader …show more content…
An enlightening example of this is when Douglass' mistress, Sophia Auld, is caught teaching Douglass the alphabet by her husband, Hugh. Through witnessing Hugh's anger, Douglass concludes that it is through black illiteracy that white southerners keep their superiority over African Americans: "From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I least expected it." Here, the reader sees the moment where Douglass realizes that literacy is connected to both individual awareness and
In the narrative, Douglass comes to the important realization that literacy is associated with not only one’s own consciousness, but also freedom. Consequently, Douglass strives to learn as much as possible and eventually learns how to write, which essentially provides him with a ticket to freedom. Due to his literacy, Douglass is able to integrate multiple complex literary devices into his narrative. This ability allows him to create his African-American identity in a very unique way, as his rhetorical power convinces the reader …show more content…
An enlightening example of this is when Douglass' mistress, Sophia Auld, is caught teaching Douglass the alphabet by her husband, Hugh. Through witnessing Hugh's anger, Douglass concludes that it is through black illiteracy that white southerners keep their superiority over African Americans: "From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I least expected it." Here, the reader sees the moment where Douglass realizes that literacy is connected to both individual awareness and