In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, Douglass is a slave who yearns to learn how to read and obtain knowledge. However his first owner, Mr. Auld, stated, “If you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) 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” (29). His emphasis on preventing Douglass from learning motivated Douglass to read even more. This mere drive and motivation led to his ultimate success, where he eventually escaped slavery.

The quote Mr. Auld stated relates to Black Shack Alley by Joseph Zobel. Although Jose wasn’t a slave like Douglass, he was a minority as well, under the oppression of white owners. Under the insistence of his grandmother, he goes to school to obtain an education. His grandma did this in order to prevent him from working on the fields as well, like the other young children.  Jose went to school and avoided working at the sugar cane fields, where he even achieved a scholarship because of his outstanding essay. Jose also stated this quote I found very meaningful: “Wasn’t the very act of reading a pleasure more substantial than that of playing or eating, for instance, even when one was starved?” (115). This shows just how important school is and how it can potentially lead to a positive road ahead of you. Both Douglass and Jose have their achievements due to them having an education and their desire to learn.