A statement that most would uphold as valid, is the idea that an education is the most powerful weapon anyone can obtain. Knowledge opens the doors for greater opportunity and understanding in life. The achievement of education is often a difficult process that requires significant composure and dedication. Once one understands the importance of education, their entire being desires to obtain as much knowledge as possible. Two prime examples of acquiring an education through self-determination are Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass. Regardless of the fact that Franklin and Douglass were from completely different social statuses, each’s yearning for education fostered success in life which led to the betterment of society as a whole.
…show more content…
Whenever an opportunity presented itself, Franklin made the most of it by improving his knowledge in every way possible. Similarly to Douglass, once Franklin got a taste of knowledge, he yearned with all of his might to learn as much as he possibly could. In his autobiography, Franklin demonstrates his early passion for reading, “from a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books” (Franklin, 9). Franklin’s pursuit for education only grew stronger as he grew older. Franklin, comparable to Douglass, knew that his writing could only become stronger with more and more practice, therefore Franklin, “grew more attentive to the manner in writing and determined to endeavor at improving” (Franklin, 11). To improve his writing, Franklin would tirelessly read and then re-write works attempting to capture the same prose and writing ability. Franklin would “without looking at the book, try’d to compleat the papers again by expressing each hinted sentiment at length and as fully as it had been expressed before…[he] discovered many faults and amended them” (Franklin, 11). Franklin’s relentlessly effort to better his writing led to him advancing his education even further. Franklin, like Douglass, didn’t stop there. Franklin tried to obtain more books and more knowledge in every way, Franklin …show more content…
Although both of them found success in different ways, each’s success was a product of their drive and willing to better themselves through education. For Douglass, knowledge allowed for him to successfully become a free man during a time when slavery was a common practice in America. However, Douglass is not naive enough to claim that education was the sole factor in making him a free man, yet he does argue that education was the most important factor. Due to Douglass’s pains to educate himself, he realized that what separated slaves from their oppressors was that slaves lacked any form of education whatsoever; "[education] opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (24). At a young age, Douglass got his hands on the book, “The Columbian Orator”, this book further educated him by opening his eyes to the harsh reality of slavery. Douglass states, “The reading of these enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery…” (Douglass, 24). Because of Douglass’s education, he was able to read and thus, he was able to better understand the terrible predicament that he was trapped in. This understanding of how senseless slavery truly was led to Douglass’s desire to escape. In his autobiography, Douglass claims, “This battle with
Whenever an opportunity presented itself, Franklin made the most of it by improving his knowledge in every way possible. Similarly to Douglass, once Franklin got a taste of knowledge, he yearned with all of his might to learn as much as he possibly could. In his autobiography, Franklin demonstrates his early passion for reading, “from a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books” (Franklin, 9). Franklin’s pursuit for education only grew stronger as he grew older. Franklin, comparable to Douglass, knew that his writing could only become stronger with more and more practice, therefore Franklin, “grew more attentive to the manner in writing and determined to endeavor at improving” (Franklin, 11). To improve his writing, Franklin would tirelessly read and then re-write works attempting to capture the same prose and writing ability. Franklin would “without looking at the book, try’d to compleat the papers again by expressing each hinted sentiment at length and as fully as it had been expressed before…[he] discovered many faults and amended them” (Franklin, 11). Franklin’s relentlessly effort to better his writing led to him advancing his education even further. Franklin, like Douglass, didn’t stop there. Franklin tried to obtain more books and more knowledge in every way, Franklin …show more content…
Although both of them found success in different ways, each’s success was a product of their drive and willing to better themselves through education. For Douglass, knowledge allowed for him to successfully become a free man during a time when slavery was a common practice in America. However, Douglass is not naive enough to claim that education was the sole factor in making him a free man, yet he does argue that education was the most important factor. Due to Douglass’s pains to educate himself, he realized that what separated slaves from their oppressors was that slaves lacked any form of education whatsoever; "[education] opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (24). At a young age, Douglass got his hands on the book, “The Columbian Orator”, this book further educated him by opening his eyes to the harsh reality of slavery. Douglass states, “The reading of these enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery…” (Douglass, 24). Because of Douglass’s education, he was able to read and thus, he was able to better understand the terrible predicament that he was trapped in. This understanding of how senseless slavery truly was led to Douglass’s desire to escape. In his autobiography, Douglass claims, “This battle with