Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass emphasized the importance of how knowledge was the most powerful tool in the path of abolishing slavery. Frederick Douglass, the author of this novel, is given the opportunity to become literate by Mrs. Auld despite being a slave. He was taught the alphabet and various three to four letter words. Upon discovering the fact that Mrs. Auld was instructing Douglass how to read, Mr. Auld reprimanded Mrs. Auld. He informed her that, “If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master” (250). Essentially, this quote demonstrated the consequences of a slave becoming educated in the eyes of a slave owner. Once a slave becomes educated, he would no longer become ignorant to the accessibility of freedom. Respectively, he would be able to reason and think for himself. Douglass included this pivotal scene in his narrative to illustrate his epiphany towards the idea of by simply learning how to read, he is able to achieve what slave owners dread, which is the use of knowledge to fight oppression. Douglass now understands that masters purposely deprive slaves of intelligence. Furthermore, they brainwash them to believe that they are inferior and their sole purpose in life is to obey their masters.
Douglass described the gore and violence of slavery as a, “… blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass” (238). Douglass also included many detailed and vivid imageries in hopes to shed a light on the horrors of slavery. An example of him portraying the violence of slavery is when he recalls the incidence of his Aunt Hester being whipped, “I have often been awakened at the dawn of the day by the most heartrending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood” (238). By highlighting these personal anecdotes of his life and the violent experiences faced by other fellow slaves through the form of literature, Frederick Douglass was able to expose the atrocious practice of slavery.
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven was once said by William Shakespeare, the quote relates closely to the narrative from the nine chapters we have read and to your post. You’ve done a remarkable job in articulating your analyze of the narrative. Indeed, Douglass’s knowledge was imperative to the path of abolishing slavery. It essentially paved the road and opened many doors to freedom for the slaves. Although, for your next post, I think you can improve on by adding more of your thoughts to it and describe to us what are your responses to certain parts of the story.
The first idea of your post reminded me of a book I read in Freshman year of high school called “Dear John” by Gary Paulsen. In many form of literature about slavery, I have noticed that the slave owners feared the educated slaves because the slaves will learn to voice their opinion and can potentially expose slavery to the world. However, I thought you could have written your post solely on the idea of salve education instead of introducing a new topic towards the end.
If Douglas was not thought the alphabet his escape would have never occurred. Why? Well, it was his first moment when he came to realization of the fact that the slave-masters don’t want the slaves to obtain an education. This made him wonder why he nor other slaves were prohibited from learning the alphabet. The slave master said that once you teach a slave how to read, he will no longer be a slave. The masters mindset toward the slaves is ignorance is bliss. The less they know, the better.
I don’t understand what you’re trying to point out in your comment here. It’s not really providing her any substantial feedback. You’re just reiterating what she wrote in her blog post.