Pushing Through Adversity Analysis

Pushing Through Adversity Everyone struggles with adversity at some point in their life. People who attack adversity and persevere are people who succeed. In “How I Learned to Read and Write,” from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Fredrick Douglass strives to learn how to read and write. He soon discovers if he can learn literacy he will become free. So, Douglass is determined to learn no matter the cost. Through his determination, he battles with different situations in his life, but he never lets them stop him. Because Douglass continues to push forward, he eventually becomes successful and free. Overcoming adversity leads to personal freedom. Douglass’s tenacity pushes him to learn the skill of reading. Learning
Douglass notices men labeling the beginning letters on timber for what destination they are going too. He learns four-letter words by studying the timber marks. “I soon learned the names of these letters, and for what they were intended when placed upon a piece of timber in the ship-yard. I immediately commenced copying them, and in a short time was able to make the four letters named.” (Douglass, 2014, pg. 134) Douglass studies very hard on the letters and soon learns how to write words. Douglass could give up on learning how to write, instead, he retains his prior knowledge. He thinks back on how the boys taught him to read, so he uses the same aspects to learn how to write. Douglass tricks the boys to teach him to write by telling them that he can write better than them. “After that, when I met with any boy who I knew could write, I would tell him I could write as well as he.” (Douglass, 2014, pg.134) Douglass wrote the words he knew. Then had the boys try to beat him, so he could learn how to write unfamiliar words. Douglass is slowly starting to gain more knowledge through his personal struggles toward freedom. With knowledge, Douglass is able to learn how to write and accomplish personal