Frederick Douglass Synthesis Paper In an autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass, the author argues that no one can be enslaved if she or he has the ability to read, write, or think. Douglass supports his claim by explaining the experience of himself acquiring knowledge to become an independent and intelligent free man. The author’s purpose is to unravel the collective minds of all who support and oppose slavery in order to diminish the damage slavery has caused in hope of finding a more educational and free society. Based on evidence and personal experience, Douglass is writing for the help of those, the educated white men of high authority, with the ability to create change in our …show more content…
By using strong textual evidence from multiple sources, there is an argument that can be proven. The power of education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is one of the most important themes in the entire work, but it is not a theme with a consistent meaning. Although Frederick Douglass understands that the only path to freedom, both for himself and fellow slaves, is through learning to read, write, and have an educational base to build on, he is at the same time disgusted with education because it causes him to understand the full extent of the horrors of slavery. At one point, Douglass states, “It [education] opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out." With this important quote, having examined the meaning and importance of education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." Douglass explains his claim by providing more in depth idea of what it means to have education not only does it provide a path to freedom, but it also opens the eyes to the horrors around. This example which proves no one can be enslaved if she or he has the ability to read, write, or think only strengthens the
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.
In Frederick Douglass' autobiography, NLFD, he explains his life experiences during and after slavery. He develops the connection that education has to freedom. He supports this connection with rhetorical devices that contributes to the structure and meaning of his ideas. I've been asked to consider the questions including "What is freedom?", "Why is it important for people and cultures to construct narratives about their experiences?", and "In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail?" Your personal answer to each question can determine how one would interpret Douglass' connection between education and freedom.
In the Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglas’s main goal is to debunk the myths that have been spread, throughout the world, of slavery. The beliefs of both the slave owners and the slaves themselves have been contorted with the myths that have been trying to justify the reality of slavery. Douglass debunks the myths of slavery through the romantic images of slavery, the intellect of slaves and through the promotion of the disloyalty between slaves. Douglass throughout his narrative argues with the romantic images that are assumed about slavery. He first debunks the idea about how a singing slave is a happy slave for “slave sing most when they are most unhappy” (12).
Education is a key. Not many can find it, but those who do can unlock the door to endless knowledge. Abolitionist leader and American slave, Frederick Douglass, in his autobiography A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, contemplates the enslavement he endured while emphasizing the importance of education as a key to freedom. Throughout Douglass’ educational awakening and his realization of its overall power, he comes to understand the slaveholder’s evil doings in keeping all slaves trapped in ignorance.
On July 4, 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to present an oratory in New York in commemoration of Independence Day. While many people recall Douglass as fierce abolitionist, he was also a brilliant speaker renowned in his time. In his acclaimed speech, I Hear the Mournful Wail of Millions, he expresses the mockery he, an African American, feels of being invited to speak about independence when the black man isn’t free. America is hypocritical, he argues, because its promise of freedom and autonomy is antithetical to its practice of slavery. Through Douglass’s compelling rhetoric piece, he crafts a masterful argument using the occasion, an appeal to emotions, verbal irony and possessive pronouns to emphasize the deception of society’s oath
“The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” written by Frederick Douglass himself, is a piece of literature about slavery. Born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Frederick Douglass, the voice within the text, was an abolitionist and activist who wanted to reveal the cruelness of slavery. Douglass decided to expose slavery by writing his story down in 1845, making his age roughly 27 years old. Throughout the narrative, Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos to convince the readers that his story is the truth and to establish credibility by exposing the barbaric ways of slavery. Through the use of rhetorical devices, Douglass reveals that the slaveholders prove their looks and their words work together by the heartlessness
Every person learns from his or her environment, and especially from those who surround them. However, if the community does not provide the necessary needs for education, there is a deprivation of learning and a chance of not developing a thriving community. Frederick Douglass demonstrates the importance of pursuing an education in an unsupportive community in “How I Learned to Read and Write.” Douglass’s education grows due to those who surround him by tricking boys to teach him unintentionally. Education includes the perspective which affects an individual's opinion.
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
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.
It seems ridiculous, but part of Douglass’s path to liberation was learning what slavery actually was. He gradually learned that the owners will do whatever they can to suppress the learning of the slaves in order to keep them in their lowly position. Douglass was first introduced to learning under the Auld’s watch, when Mrs. Auld began teaching Douglass how to read. When Mr. Auld found about Douglass’s instruction, he forbade her to reach him anything further. Mr. Auld remarked, “Learning would spoil the best n----r in the world.
In Frederick Douglas, “Learning to Read and Write,” Douglass uses an empathic tone, and telling details to convince his audience about the humanity and intelligence of enslaved African and the evils of slavery. Frederick Douglass alternated experience with the elevated diction, imagery with emotion in order to illuminate abolitionists of the need for slaves to become free. Douglass essay is well put into effect, with the struggle’s he endured as a slave and as well as the accomplishments on achieving to learn to read and write in insuperable odds, during a period where slaves had disadvantage and prohibited from learning how to read or write. With a determined and ambition approach, he showed us how important he thinks it is for slaves to
Frederick Douglass in his article, Learning to Read and Write, tells about his struggle to learn to read and write in the 1800’s because he was a slave. He uses an anecdote, pathos, and personification to support his actions to not let slavery prevent his education. The majority of his article is a personal anecdote telling of his struggle to learn to read and write. In his narrative, he appeals to the readers’ emotions in order to make them better understand his actions and situation. He does this by using imagery to describe his situation, using descriptive words to explain his desire to learn, and telling about the change his mistress went through.
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.
Education gives hope for Douglass’s life since he began to truly understand what goes on in slavery. As he figured out more about the topic, his self motivation poured out hope in his life. As Frederick saw an opportunity to become
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.