Learning To

Read By Frederick Douglass Analysis

In "Learning to Read", Frederick Douglass reflects on the critical and empowering aspects of his life that contributed to his success and shaped his attitude towards learning. During his early years, Douglass was not able to learn through formal schooling. He encountered many teachers throughout painful and distressing moments of his life, which played a vast role in shaping the perceptions of his literacy. Douglass's narrative is able to illustrate his persistence and tenacity as an individual. He later began to regret those aspects of himself, as he became the most educated among the other slaves during his time. Douglass often felt discouraged by his literacy and knowledge. However, his education later allowed him to escape the harsh and brutal aspects of slavery and contribute his efforts to fighting against it. As the narrative continues, the negative and positive aspects of Douglass's literacy become evident, as he shares his experiences as a self–taught slave who gained freedom and became emancipated. Similarly to Douglass, I have experienced many positive and negative aspects of learning that have altered and shaped my attitude towards school. After I graduated from middle school and entered high school, I experienced numerous changes throughout my learning and education. During my freshman year of high school, I was able to apply the skills, concepts, and knowledge that I learned throughout my years in middle school, which allowed me to gain success as a student. I

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Frederick Douglass/ and Me Frederick Douglass autobiography learning to read and write was written in 1845 and is a story of his struggle to learn to read and write. The story talks about how he was self–taught because back when he was a kid, a slave in Maryland, it was not allowed for a slave to learn to read and write. Douglass had to sneak and trick people into teaching him how to read and write. He never went to school, never had a teacher to guide him or supportive parents like had while I struggled through school. In kindergarten I was diagnosed dyslexic, actually, it was number dyslexia. I had trouble solving basic math equations seeing and understanding patterns, math became a real struggle for me. It felt like other kids were flying by, and I would always be stuck in the same place. When Douglass talks about how he would always be a slave and how the other kids would soon be free. It...show more content...

I myself had to learn different tricks to learn math; such as, different techniques or having a teacher show me multiple times until I finally understood how to solve a math problem or I finally saw the shape that was being made. Douglass and I had our struggles growing up on how to learn something his was reading and writing, mine was problem solving and shapes.

Both Douglass and I were able to overcome our struggles, he was able to become free and became one of the most famous writers in the world. He made his mark in the world and showed people that no matter what people say or do, keep going because the struggle is worth the reward in the end. I learned how to deal with my disability, it took a lot of time and patience, but I never gave up. I am now the only person in my family who is a college graduate, something I never thought I would

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Our first reading of EN101, Fredrick Douglass' "Learning to Read," helped our class to better understand the privilege of being a writer. During this time, he is able to learn how to read and write thanks to the help of Mrs. Auld, even though she is eventually pressured into no longer tutoring him due to pressure from society. The relationship between Douglass and Mrs. Auld is both physically and emotionally damaged because of slavery. Mrs. Douglass becomes hardened and cruel due to the lack of sympathy that the mentality of slavery has brought along with it. Nevertheless, Douglass was able to learn the alphabet and is now determined to learn how to read. He manages to persuade the poor local boys to give him lessons to read in exchange for bread. Douglass wants to thank these boys by using their name, but he knows that they would pay the price for it, because teaching blacks still is not socially acceptable during this time. Douglass recalls the boys sadly agreeing that he himself deserved to be a slave no more than they did....show more content...

In the book, the master presents the argument for slavery, but the slave was able to persuade the master to release him due to his ability to rebuttal each point given. The book helps Douglass to effectively build the case against slavery, but the more information he compiles, the more he begins to hate his masters. Douglass's discontent is becoming more present now that he understands the injustice of slavery but still has nothing in his power to escape it. Douglass enters a period of hopelessness that almost leads to suicide. Douglass anxiously listens to anyone discussing the topic of slavery. He hears the word abolitionist often appear in conversation. Douglass finally discovers that the word abolitionist means antislavery in a city newspaper account of a Northern abolitionist

In Frederick Douglass 's essay, "Learning to Read and Write", he describes the various methods with which he became literate throughout the age of slavery. The essay is made with well–executed and potent literary tools that serve to each relay the struggle he endured in learning to browse and write, additionally on more prove Douglass 's distinguished accomplishments and talent against apparently insurmountable odds. It 's an awfully personal recount of a heavy time in his life, however it additionally properly depicts Frederick Douglass as a capable author with deeply coherent thoughts. Through the utilization of irony, distinctive syntax, wordy diction, and intelligent metaphors, Frederick Douglass exhibits his ability to eloquently categorical himself and his personal strife. Irony is present during this essay as Frederick Douglass describes his previous teaching things. as an example, though he was bond at the time of his teaching, he explains to the reader that he carried loaves of bread once sent on errands so he might barter for Associate in Nursing impromptu reading lesson from native kids. He admits "I was far better off during this regard than several of the poor white kids in our neighborhood" (Douglass 101). This statement is ironic as a result of Frederick Douglass himself would presumptively be within the worse position, however instead, whilst a 12–year–old acknowledges what very little benefits he will have. Character traits like these are indicative of

In the narrative excerpt "Learning to Read and Write" (1845), which originally came from the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass recapitulates his journey into the coming of literacy that shifts his point to how slavery really is. Douglass develops and supports his main idea by providing a flashback of his own experience as a slave learning to read and write and through dialogue with rhetorical appeals, such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Douglass' apparent purpose is to retell his story of the obstacles he faced to finally become a free man to guide and prompt other fellow slaves to finally take action for their freedom; he also wants to establish a foundation in which people of higher power, such as abolitionists, are more aware of the slavery situation. The intended audience for this excerpt is the general public of the time consisting of fellow slaves, slave owners, and abolitionists; the relationship Douglass establishes with the audience is equivalent to a news reporter and the people receiving the message–he exposes the truth to them. Before I read this piece of art, I did not think that I would like it; I thought it was a tedious literary work like the ones a part of a colossal textbook at first glance. However, I changed my mind after reading it thoroughly. I am honestly amazed at how Douglass' words link together to have such easy flow and clarity through each sentence. He is a better writer than some of the people who learned how to read and write at an even younger age than him. Last but not least, I love how he proves that education is important since reading and writing gave him the advantage to become a free man; this excerpt gives a lesson on why education is pivotal to gaining knowledge to have a sense of individuality. Frederick Douglass utilizes the three rhetorical appeals–ethos, pathos, and logos–to justify his development into earning his freedom by absorbing the two abilities of literacy. He establishes credibility by illustrating his perspective as a slave learning to read and write, even though it was forbidden. Douglass depicts, "The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the

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Frederick Douglass, a well–known activist against slavery and racial inequality, wrote about his journey towards literacy throughout his years as a slave. In his article, Learning to Read and Write, he discusses his strategies for gaining knowledge and his internal desires and struggles that centered around his education. In an article known as Freewriting, Peter Elbow discusses his disdain for excessive editing and its negative effects on the natural flow of a written work. These texts have many similarities; they share a love for literature and communication through writing. However, due to the vastly different backgrounds of the authors, topics throughout the piece, and intentions for writing, these articles have many distinctive...show more content...

He continued to think about abolition and emancipation throughout his time working in a ship–yard, where he used the letters on the timber to teach himself how to write. He also would copy the italics in the Webster's Spelling Book and his new master's copy–books from school. Eventually, Frederick Douglass became fully literate.

According to Peter Elbow, literacy is all that is necessary to improve one's writing. In his article, Freewriting, he encouraged amateur writers to practice simply writing their thoughts without filtering. "Don't stop for anything," Elbow said. "Go quickly without rushing. Never stop to look back, to cross something out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought to use, or to think about what you are doing." This task allows us to put exactly what we are thinking on a piece of paper, and visualize the natural flow of our thoughts, so they can be imitated in our writing. Elbow also warned young scholars against editing out thoughts that are "unacceptable" and attempting to force out words in a way that makes them more pleasing than the reality of verbal conversation. He used the analogy of an editor hovering over a producer while he is making art. "No wonder the producer is nervous, jumpy, inhibited, and finally can't be coherent. It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the right words," said

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In "Learning to Read and Write" written by Frederick Douglass, he talks about his experience of teaching himself how to read and write as a slave boy living in Master Hugh's house where his mistress educated him. However, she was dictated by her husband and the instructions given to the slaves on how to read had to stop; in order for Douglass to teach himself, he obtained a book about slavery, The Columbian Orator and read the book every free second he had. Encouraged by the book, Douglass runs away to the north from his master for freedom. Douglass' main ideas include depravity, chattel, and an emancipation, which represents a moral corruption, the slave properties, and an act of freeing someone from slavery, respectively.

Douglass' mistress treated all her slaves as if she would treat any other human beings. As Douglass explains, "She was a pious, warm, and tender–hearted woman..... She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach" (101). She lacked a general depravity towards the slaves and promoted education among the slaves at first. But, her husband did not; he knew if his slaves had knowledge about slavery and were literate and able to verbally defend themselves, the wall separating African–American slaves and White men will eventually break and free men power will no longer be available. When Douglass was in an unsupervised room for more than a reasonable period of time, he got "suspected of having a book, and was at once called to give an account of himself" (101). Master Hugh's corrupted morality blocked Douglass' every attempt to learn more about literacy and slavery.

Being a chattel –the idea of being possessed as Master Hugh's personal belongings for the rest of the life questioned Douglass' existence and the purpose of his life. As he explains, "I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out" (103). After reading "Sheridan's mighty speeches" in the book, The Columbian Orator, Douglass finally could utter his thoughts and form Get

In "Frederik Douglass Learning to read (1845)" Frederik Douglass describes his experiences as a slave and how he learned to read and write. The main idea of Frederick's passage is how powerful and important education is. Frederick accounts for how he began to learn to read through his mistress, who taught him the alphabet. Douglass lived in the master Hugh's family. Master Hugh ended the mistress illegal attempts at teaching Douglass. After learning the alphabet, Douglass continued to educate himself with the help of the white children he met on the street. Douglass explains that he gave the children bread in exchange for knowledge. He also read many books which prompted new thoughts and ideas. After reading books and documents repeatedly Douglass

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