Frederick Douglass How I Learned to Read and Write Essay

During the 1800s, the institution of hard workerry was p onlyiate on-going in the few slave states left in America. Slavery was still proving to be unjust and unfair, not allowing for African Americans to be considered equals. However, some slaves were satisfactory to overcome the many restrictions and boundaries that slavery forced upon them. In Frederick Douglass essay larn to Read and Write, Douglass portrays himself as an intelligent and dignified slave whos adequate to overcome the racial boundaries placed upon him.Frederick Douglass saw that his only pathway to exemption was through literacy, so his goal was to learn how to take away and indite no matter the bunch. Douglass realized becoming a literate slave was considered as having too much power beca drop it made him conscious of unjust circumstances of slavery. For a slave to become literate wasnt tolerated. If a slaves knew how to read and write, it would make them unfit for being slaves. At the age of twelve, Fr ederick Douglass manipulates his circumstances caused by slavery and uses various stratagems to learn how to read and write.Eager to learn, Douglass manipulated his circumstances d bearstairs slavery to become literate. At archetypical, Master Hughs wife had started tutoring Douglass, article of belief him the alphabet. These lessons continued until she was further instructed by her preserve not to do so. He believed that if slaves could read and write they would no longer obey him without question or thought. Due to this belief, tutoring ended abruptly. Masters Hughs wife carried out her husbands commands, but she also tried to prevent Douglass from becoming ameliorate by anyone else either.However, Douglass was able-bodied to obtain newspapers and or various books to further his education. The lady of pleasure and her husband demonstrated with their actions and beliefs during this time, that slavery and education were incompatible. However, Douglass had already taken the fi rst step in his eager pursuit to literacy. Douglass quest for literacy led him to use various stratagems in order to learn how to read. Douglass had already gained command of the alphabet, so he devised a plan to become friends with poor white children whom he met on errands and to use them as teachers.He paid for his reading lessons with pieces of bread. By meeting at various times and places, he had at long last succeeded in learning to read. With the little money he had earned doing errands, he bought a copy of The Columbian Orator (The common text for schools in tender England at the time). Douglass was particularly interested in a dialogue in The Columbian Orator, one pertaining to a slave being emancipated later trying to escape for the third time. The dialogue consisted of a conversation between the master and the slave.The slave had proven he was intelligent with the smart and proud replies to the master in the dialogue, thus leading to the emancipation of the slave on b ehalf of the master. Douglass learned the morality of the power of truth over conscience in the dialogue, which made him envious. The to a greater extent Frederick Douglass learned, the more slavery became a burden. Douglass had become more aware of the unjustness of slavery and the social forces placed upon his people because of it. Knowingly, Douglass was laid to overcome these social forces and become a freed slave.Becoming more aware of his situation in society, Douglass felt wretched by his condition and seek to learn to write in order to better it. After he realized the strongholds and stipulations held upon him, Douglass sought to hear anything he can about slavery. Douglass became hypnotised with the word abolition, and not knowing what it meant bothered him. Douglass, eager to find the signification of the word, picked up a newspaper containing an account of petitions for the abolition of slavery and slave trade. It was not long before Frederick realized what the word n ow meant. youth Douglass was enlightened with new ideas that both tormented and inspired him. He curtly began to detest slavery, and he knew that writing was the final step to fulfill his occupy to become literate. So Douglass travelled to Mr. Waters Wharf where he met two Irishmen who felt sorry for him being a slave and conscious him to run away. However, Douglass believed that if he learned to write he could possible write his own ticket out of slavery. With this new found idea, he traveled to Durgin and Baileys ship-yard where he learned to write by using abbreviations. diametrical abbreviations stood for various areas on the ship where the timber was to be placed. He shortly learned the names of the abbreviated letters and challenged the boys who had taught him to read, in writing contests. This method, along with his rigorous copying of words from various copy-books and Websters Spelling Book, allowed Douglass to finally become a literate black male in America. Frederick D ouglass was able to overcome the social boundaries and conflicts that slavery forced upon him in his quest for literacy.Although his voyage was hard and against all odds, Douglass knew that his only escape from the narrow-minded world of slavery was to be able to become educated. With his literacy came power and his ability to write his own ticket. Frederick Douglass aspiration for a becoming an equal citizen in America was astounding. He overcame the stipulations and restrictions that slavery forced upon him. When he wanted to give up all hope, his search for freedom and wellbeing was his motivation.