Blessings Of Liberty And Education By Frederick Douglass

Some men know the value of education by having it. I know its value by not having it. –Blessings of Liberty and Education (1894) In Frederick Douglass’ narrative he writes about his childhood memories while he was enslaved including memories from different owners and overseers.He talks about the multiple different plantations he had lived on. He includes his memories of the terrible treatment of his family and fellow slaves as well as memories of being in communications with them. In his narrative, he criticizes many aspects of slavery however he focuses on the inhumanity of slavery. By criticizing the inhumanity of slavery Douglass demonstrates that becoming literate enabled him to discover his self-pride which helped him become a†¦show more content†¦He was realizing how before he had been taught to read he too blind to the injustice that the slave owners put them under. Hugh Auld teaches Douglass why it is so important that a slave must remain ignorant, bec ause if they didn’t understand the oppression that they were under they would feel no need to rebel against the slave owners. Douglass realizes this and thinks to himself. â€Å"Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read †¦ might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read† (20) Because he realizes the importance of education Douglass is set on finishing learning to read and write. Despite the struggles he knows he will have to go through to gain his education because to educate a slave is illegal, he believes that it is through becoming literate that he will be able to escape slavery and become a freeman. Douglass demonstrates the importance of his education through being dedicated to teaching himself how to read and write. He discovers the power of education, through Mr. Auld being so dedi cated to prohibiting Douglass to read he is enabled to comprehend the power of education especially in its ability to keep millions of people enslaved. Douglass’ ability to read and write makes it so he is able to discover his self-pride. While Douglass is living with Mr. Auld again heShow MoreRelatedThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe â€Å"Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass† is the story of Frederick Douglass’ life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. When Douglass wrote this book, slavery was still legal in a large portion of the United States. After Douglass’ escape to freedom and his continuation of his education, he became an abolitionist through his works of literature and speeches. 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