Frederick Douglas lived as a slave all for his life. However, education not only helps him to escape his life of slavery, but also helps him to recognize his goal: desire for justice, and make substantial contributions to abolition. Obviously, this was exactly what the slaveholders tried so hard to prevent: slaves obtaining education. As a result, his desire to obtain an education illustrates how valuable education was during Douglas’ lifetime as due to enslaving are forbidden to learn. In his essay, "Learning to Read", he describes the different teachers that helped him to become literate in the period of slavery. The very first teacher brightened him is Mrs. Auld – Master Hugh’s wife, who taught him to learn the alphabet. Nevertheless,
…show more content…
For instance, even though he was enslaved at the time of his teaching, he explains to the readers that he brought bread when sending chores so he could exchange for an unplanned reading lesson from local children. He admits: "I felt much better off in this regard than many of the poor white children in our neighborhood" (Douglass 26). This statement is ironic because Douglass himself would probably be in the worse position. Character traits such as the expression of a man who struggles to be recognized. Moreover, this kind of irony also presented at the top of the essay, Douglass called himself a slave which reminded the audiences that slaves did not happen in some faraway land; it happened in America – the land of freedom that can also be the land of slavery. Additionally, it is hard to believe for the white American that in the mid-1880s, a black person could even learn to read and less write a book (Shmoop Editorial Team). An occurrence of irony is present later in this article, when Douglass was explaining his mental struggle, long after successfully learning to read. He mentions his literacy as "wretched conditions" of his own and even for the readers, "I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing" (Douglass 27). The recognition is concerned although Douglass was notorious in his feats in the literary history, he is portrayed here is …show more content…
These metaphors are reserved to highlight the main idea of the essay. When he talks about poor children had taught him in exchange for bread, he claims an clearly connection into the mind of the readers: "This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge" (Douglass 26). He also reflected on the owner's wife (refers as "lover") says that "mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell" (Douglass 25). This implies that "mistress" is the main source of the success of Douglass, and without her, he would not perform all that he has. He also recalled his feelings towards his enslavers: "…a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes..." (Douglass 27). This creates the pathos because the enslavers left their homes and robbed the freedom from other people, this presents the inherent hate and oppression of the readers about the slavery
For instance, even though he was enslaved at the time of his teaching, he explains to the readers that he brought bread when sending chores so he could exchange for an unplanned reading lesson from local children. He admits: "I felt much better off in this regard than many of the poor white children in our neighborhood" (Douglass 26). This statement is ironic because Douglass himself would probably be in the worse position. Character traits such as the expression of a man who struggles to be recognized. Moreover, this kind of irony also presented at the top of the essay, Douglass called himself a slave which reminded the audiences that slaves did not happen in some faraway land; it happened in America – the land of freedom that can also be the land of slavery. Additionally, it is hard to believe for the white American that in the mid-1880s, a black person could even learn to read and less write a book (Shmoop Editorial Team). An occurrence of irony is present later in this article, when Douglass was explaining his mental struggle, long after successfully learning to read. He mentions his literacy as "wretched conditions" of his own and even for the readers, "I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing" (Douglass 27). The recognition is concerned although Douglass was notorious in his feats in the literary history, he is portrayed here is …show more content…
These metaphors are reserved to highlight the main idea of the essay. When he talks about poor children had taught him in exchange for bread, he claims an clearly connection into the mind of the readers: "This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge" (Douglass 26). He also reflected on the owner's wife (refers as "lover") says that "mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell" (Douglass 25). This implies that "mistress" is the main source of the success of Douglass, and without her, he would not perform all that he has. He also recalled his feelings towards his enslavers: "…a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes..." (Douglass 27). This creates the pathos because the enslavers left their homes and robbed the freedom from other people, this presents the inherent hate and oppression of the readers about the slavery