Reading Response To Fredrick Douglass

Reading Response 1: Douglass Fredrick Douglass was a slave who against the closed minded thinking of the society he lived in, rose above and taught himself to read and write which changed his life for the better. After his master had forbidden his learning any further, he continued to learn by making connections with the local boys in the city which lead to his successful escape from the south. Douglass explains the conflict between literacy and slavery as being connected. Douglass writes, “education and slavery were incompatible with each other,” (pg. 59) this is a powerful quote of how a slave cannot learn education from their master and still allow themselves to be treated in such an inhumane way. From learning how to read Douglass realized
how slavery was a violation of basic human rights after finding a copy of “The Columbian Orator”. In a difference instance, Fredrick Douglass once wrote, “Once you learn how to read, you will be free.” Slaves were prohibited from learning how to read and write because if they learned as a collective body they would rise against their unfair treatment. The slaves who were literate had a higher chance of a successful escape from their masters, finding refuge and their freedom in the north. Douglass explains why his master is against him learning how to read and write, his master knew that Douglass would become an unruly slave, begin forming ideas about his freedom and would then try to escape from the south to the north for a chance of freedom, which is why his master no longer wanted Douglass to continue his education.
He writes, “They gave me tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul,” (pg. 62). His master is against him reading because he knows that if Fredrick learns to be literate, he can then read about the ideas from abolitionists and try to escape to the north for a life of freedom. Due to Douglass’s newly enlightened mind he would be able to come up with ideas of freedom for himself and challenge his master’s ideas. Douglass writes, “The reading of these documents enables me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery,” (pg. 62). In the book that Fredrick read the master willing gives his slave freedom after he becomes literate and tries to escape three different occasions, “- for the conversation resulted in the voluntary emancipation of the slave on the part of the master,” (pg. 62). From literacy, slavery would no longer be an acceptable way of life, the slaveholders knew this and tried everything in their power to prohibit the enlightenment of their
slaves. The knowledge of literacy being illegal forced Douglass to be much more secretive about his learning from the city boys and he had to be much more selective of who learned he could read and write. He learned how to be resourceful and make connections with others that both parties benefited. In this instance, the poor boys got bread and Douglass got lessons. If someone would have learned, he could have faced punishment from his master for disobeying him and breaking the law. Douglass used his literacy to escape to the north, which many other slaves had tried but few succeed. He began to realize why literacy was illegal for slaves, because if they learned how to read and write they could no longer be seen as an object of possession but an actual human being.