Frederick Douglas. How I Learned to Read and Write. From Chapter Seven of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas. http://etext.virginia.edu
From the very start of this chapter, Douglas makes his point, "I succeeded in learning to read and write" (Douglas, Ch 7). What one might consider as a normal learning experience is the most significant step in Douglas’s life. He adds, "I was compelled to resort to various stratagems" (Douglas, Ch 7). As a slave, Douglas was conscious of the ideal that they had no right to be literate. What for? After all, they were slaves. It would be a great sin if someone taught him that knowledge. He was not going to give up, the more he realized that it would bother/upset his Master, the more he wanted to accomplish it. Douglas’s first achievement was learning the alphabet which was actually taught to him by the Mistress. His next step was being friends with as many white boys in the street to teach him to read. It is a bit ironic how as Douglas serves his Master in doing errands, he learns to read. However reading posed a greater problem for Douglas. He realizes when reading "The Columbian Orator" that wring upholds "the power of truth" (Douglas, Ch 7). At this moment, Douglas must learn to write, and again uses boys to help him.
Why was it so significant for Douglas to read and write? He uses the term "mental darkness" as the inability to read. There is no conscious of anything without this ability- you are excluded from the world. For Douglas, literacy brings the light into his darkness. To read not just meant reading, it is tied to freedom. It is a form of liberation where you can be aware of the world and other people, while at the same time being free. Literacy can be such a powerful tool and Douglas demonstrates this through his writing-nothing is held back. He is teaching us a part of history while at the same time telling his story through his personal voice. Literacy can be many things- a tool for success and survival, it can represent justice, education and career. Literacy is an indefinite term with indefinite purposes.
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Mari,
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting that you speak about the connection of literacy and illiteracy, with that of darkness and light. It is true that having the power to read, opens the mind to an endless world of options and opportunities and I think Frederick Douglass is a perfect example of this. But some would say that they prefer to actually "not know". But the story of Frederick Douglas, makes this whole idea that "ignorance is bliss" seem completely ludacris. you ask a great question as to why it was so significant for Douglas to read and write? This is something that proves to change history, and they people view humanity...whether it be man or woman, black or white. The world as a whole benefits from a literate mind
Tweety Coyote, I think you did a great job identifying the ways in which literacy can set people free. Everyone can agree that there are advantages of gaining literacy especially in our society. Seeking freedom was Douglas' great motivator to take on the challenge of learning literacy. Very few of us can remember the details of how we learned but we can remember the why. Personally, I learned because everyone--parents, adults, teachers expected me to but eventually I pushed myself to really understand it. Maybe because of the competitive atmosphere in the classroom, I did not want to be teased, and maybe I wanted to impress my parents.
ReplyDeleteDiscovering the ways to motivate people is worth looking into. There is certainly something more promising when the individual is self-driven instead of persuaded or pushed.