How does learning how to read and write as a slave create hope in acquiring freedom? The “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass” is an autobiography of Fredrick Douglass’s life as a slave. In this biography, Douglass recounts in vivid detail the many horrors of being a slave, “Under his heavy blows, blood flowed freely, and wales were left on my back as large as my little finger” (XV 260). Douglass also describes his pathway to freedom, and how becoming literate changed his perspective on life. Fredrick Douglass’s experience can be compared to many other authors; such as Lao-Tzu, Howard Gardner, Machiavelli, Plato, and Isak Dinesen. While acquiring his literacy, Douglass faced many obstacles, first off, his motivation to be free; followed
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Douglass begun to wish that he had never learned how to read, because it had given him so much knowledge. He could not pursue any of his ambitions due to being a slave. This knowledge of truth that Douglass possessed is similar to the story of the iguana by Isak Dinesen. In this story a woman shoots an iguana for its beautiful colors, and insists on wearing a bracelet worn by a native girl. However, once the iguana is shot the beautiful colors that once existed were gone; once the beautiful bracelet was removed from the native girls arm it was not so fine. Grass is not always greener on the other side. This is exactly what happens to both Douglass and in the story of the iguana. Once Douglass learns the truth he no longer wished to live, just like the stories about the iguana. Douglass acts like the fox that Machiavelli describes by disguising himself as a sailor, with proper paper work and the ability to read and write no one would have thought him as a slave. Machiavelli describes the fox as the ability “to recognize traps” (48). Douglass’s ability to successfully disguise himself and flee to the North was very clever. If Douglass was similar to a lion, who “cannot defend itself from traps” (Machiavelli 48), he would have been caught and transported back to his master, where he would have most likely been brutally
Douglass begun to wish that he had never learned how to read, because it had given him so much knowledge. He could not pursue any of his ambitions due to being a slave. This knowledge of truth that Douglass possessed is similar to the story of the iguana by Isak Dinesen. In this story a woman shoots an iguana for its beautiful colors, and insists on wearing a bracelet worn by a native girl. However, once the iguana is shot the beautiful colors that once existed were gone; once the beautiful bracelet was removed from the native girls arm it was not so fine. Grass is not always greener on the other side. This is exactly what happens to both Douglass and in the story of the iguana. Once Douglass learns the truth he no longer wished to live, just like the stories about the iguana. Douglass acts like the fox that Machiavelli describes by disguising himself as a sailor, with proper paper work and the ability to read and write no one would have thought him as a slave. Machiavelli describes the fox as the ability “to recognize traps” (48). Douglass’s ability to successfully disguise himself and flee to the North was very clever. If Douglass was similar to a lion, who “cannot defend itself from traps” (Machiavelli 48), he would have been caught and transported back to his master, where he would have most likely been brutally