ipl-logo

Frederick Douglass Ambition

324 Words2 Pages

A theme that is found in the novel “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” is that being educated is essential for freedom and liberty. In the novel, Douglass shares his experience as a former slave and how he became free. However, if it weren’t for his ambition to learn how to read and write, Douglass may not have accomplished his goal to be a free slave. When Douglass went to live with Mr. Auld, his wife, Mrs. Auld, “kindly commenced to teach [him] the A, B, C” and “how to spell words”. Unfortunately, Mr. Auld discovered what was going on and apprised his wife about how perilous teaching a slave was and said, “if you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him” and that he “would become unfit for

Show More
Related

  • How Is Frederick Douglass An Abolitionist Archivism

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Frederick Douglass was a slave that was determined to become free from slavery. And eventually he did accomplish that goal, while ultimately becoming an abolitionist archivist and set off to abolish slavery at the end. Douglass wanted nothing more to be free, but something else was equally important was: literacy. As a slave this fundamental tool was against the rules, unlawful and unsafe.

    Read More

  • Critical Response On Learning To Read And Write By Frederick Douglass

    352 Words  | 2 Pages

    Suly Alejandre English 120 11 September 2016 “Critical Reading Response “ In the excerpt “Learning to Read and Write”, Frederick Douglass who was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, writer and statesman, illustrates the hardships that he endured during the era of slavery to be able to become literate. Douglass supports his assertion by reminiscing about his childhood struggles not only through the inherent hate and oppression in slavery but also the gradual learning process he developed himself and by being able to overcome slavery. Douglass starts to talk about the poor children “ when he would be sent to do errands he would always take his book and would carry bread that he used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins,

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Goals

    166 Words  | 1 Pages

    Frederick Douglass' goal is to fight for freedom and equality. He wants to empower those who are oppressed and make sure everyone has the same rights, regardless of their race or background. Yes, Frederick Douglass achieved his goal of fighting for freedom and equality. He empowered the oppressed by giving them a voice to speak up for their rights. He fought for everyone to have equal opportunities regardless of their race or background.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Corrupt

    1319 Words  | 6 Pages

    Having an education and being able to read and write caused the slaves to be “unmanageable”. Douglass went to Baltimore to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld. Mrs. Auld began to teach him his A, B, C’s; that was until Mr. Auld told her she needed to stop or she was going to make him unmanageable and unfit to be a slave. Mr. Auld told Mrs. Auld “A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master- to do as he is told to do” (Douglass, “Narrative” 960). These slaves were kept from having an education, which would ruin their hopes of living once they had freedom.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Importance Of Reading Essay

    722 Words  | 3 Pages

    To the common scholar, reading is the foundation for the enormous structure entitled “knowledge”. To the slave of the 1800’s, reading was a curse, a source of worry for him and his wellbeing. Frederick Douglass so brilliantly exemplifies this in his self-written biography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. However, his apparently minor inconvenience in the timeline of the history of man is greatly minimized by the fruits which it brought forth. Reading may have been the temporary source of pain for Douglass, but it was a permanent blessing, both historically and politically, for those who followed.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Learning To Read Essay

    498 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Mistress Hugh, “education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (Douglass, 33). Although Mistress Hugh had stopped teaching Douglass how to read, the seed of knowledge had already been planted. In the years that followed, his hunger for knowledge did not dissipate. Douglass devised various methods to learn to read and write in very clever ways.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass's Goals

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    The speech from What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? was presented by Frederick Douglass and was addressed to the Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society on July 5th of 1852 in Rochester, New York. Frederick Douglass was a man who was born into slavery in Maryland but, eventually he escaped to Massachusetts at the age of twenty one. The goals of his speeches were for the United States to have equality and the abolishment of slavery among all of it’s people. His goal of equality in current time have not been fully achieved by the United States as a whole.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Learning To Read And Write By Frederick Douglass

    743 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many of us take education for granted and don’t learn to our fullest potential, but Fredrick Douglass soaked in every piece of information up because he knew it was his way out. “Learning to Read and Write” is a famous article based on what Fredrick Douglass went through to earn a valuable education while being enslaved. Author Fredrick Douglass, wrote “Learning to Read and Write”, published in 1845. Throughout the article, he takes us through different events he goes through while being enslaved. Douglass begins building his credibility with personal facts and successfully demonstrating logic and pathos appeal.

    Read More

  • The Power Of Education In A Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

    1673 Words  | 7 Pages

    However, literacy turns out to be not only bliss, but also painful. Indeed, while learning to read Frederick becomes more and more aware of the injustices of slavery, and this leads him to regret this knowledge “Learning how to read had become a curse rather than a blessing” ( Douglass ) . Douglass believes in the importance of education. He thinks that education is a key part to our life; it is the only way to get freedom. Literacy is very powerful because it can set anyone free to pursue dreams.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Why I Learned To Read And Write Analysis

    582 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frederick Douglass in his narrative “Why I learned to Read and Write” demonstrates how he surpassed many obstacles along the way towards getting an education. These obstacles not only shaped Frederick’s outlook on life but also influenced him in his learning to read and write. Frederick’s main challenge was that of not being an owner of his person but rather a slave and a property to someone else. Frederick Douglass lived in the time when slavery was still taking place and slaveholders viewed slavery and education as incompatible. The slave system didn’t allow mental or physical freedom for slaves; slaveholders were to keep the apt appearance and slaves were to remain ignorant.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass: Overcoming Obstacles

    392 Words  | 2 Pages

    African-American slaves were forbidden to obtain the knowledge of being able to read or write, stemming from the fear of white masters that educated slaves will overpower them. Douglass managed to learn to read by bribing poor and hungry white boys into teaching him in exchange for bits of bread. Douglass illustrates his thirst for literacy through “[The] bread [he] used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give [him] that more valuable bread of knowledge” (pg 23). This reveals how much Douglass valued education and took advantage of all the knowledge he had access to. Today’s youth, especially the ones belonging to a minority

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Importance Of Education

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    Human slavery requires ignorance, just as an individual’s freedom, from oppression, requires knowledge attained by education. To maintain order and control over slaves, slavery demands ignorant slaves; thus, keeping slaves ignorant prevents slaves from recognizing the empowering value of education and education’s ability to liberate slaves from the effects of ignorance. Frederick Douglass’s pursuit of education helped him discover the dark, hidden truths of slavery in his article, “How I Learned to Read and Write.” Thus, the pursuit of education inspires a desire for freedom. The desire to learn generates determination and motivation.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Consumerism

    1080 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Frederick Douglass’s narrative essay titled “Learning to Read” he recalls his journey to literacy. Throughout the essay Douglass reveals how he learned to read and write, despite the fact that education was strictly prohibited to slaves. Initially, Douglass learned how to read through his mistress, but he later learned from the little white boys on the streets. As for learning to write, he often times observed ship carpenters and replicated the copy-books of his Master’s son. Frederick Douglass did not have the same opportunities students have today, yet despite his adversities, Douglass was able to become a literate slave, and ultimately free himself from slavery with the power of

    Read More

  • Essay On Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass

    973 Words  | 4 Pages

    Because of this, he successfully creates a contrast between what the slave owners think of and treat the slaves and how they are. Douglass says that slave’s minds were “starved by their cruel masters”(Douglass, 48) and that “they had been shut up in mental darkness” (Douglass, 48) and through education, something that they were deprived of, Frederick Douglass is able to open their minds and allow them to flourish into the complex people that they are. By showing a willingness to learn to read and write, the slaves prove that they were much more than what was forced upon them by their masters.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Learning To Read And Write Frederick Douglass

    560 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass is a personal narrative which describes a specific time in his childhood when he was learning to read and write. Born as a slave in the pre-Civil War south, Douglass was not expected to be literate. However, through strong ambition, Douglass overcame restrictions and stereotypes placed on slaves and taught himself to read and write. Later in his life, Frederick Douglass wrote down this story in his book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845. Today, students and adults can enjoy this narrative on how he overcame the struggles of learning how to read and write.

    Read More

More about Frederick Douglass Ambition

Open Document