One of the first things in Philip’s poem that helps me further understand Douglass’s struggle is when she begins by saying “English is my mother tongue” and explains how it is not a foreign language. This idea reminds me of how slaves, like Douglass, are often born in the United States, and how the harsh conditions in which they work happen right here in their own country. Similarly, I am reminded of how lives of everyday Americans, such as going to school, working an industrial job with living wages, and other factors of life are familiar to the slaves. Although Douglass works on plantations for much of his life, he still understands how everyday Americans live.

Philips then goes on to say that slaves are deprived of an education, so that they “cannot speak to each other,” reminding me of how Douglass was not allowed to learn much more than what Sophia Auld originally taught him when they first met. Without being educated, slaves would not be literate, and therefore would not be able to rebel against their owners and conjure up ways to escape the harsh conditions in which they live. Furthermore, when Philips mentions the belief that “white males have larger brains” than women and blacks, and that they are superior beings, this shows me the entire idea behind slavery. It was based solely off of the unproven belief that some people are superior to others, and therefore have the rights to rule them. This is similar to the idea in Douglass’s narrative that not only are people born into slavery because of their race, and other factors that they cannot control, but also that they may feel that if slaves become free, they will begin to take jobs previously performed by supposedly better people.