Slavery Essay Research Paper Beyond LiteracyFrederick Douglass

Slavery Essay, Research Paper

Beyond Literacy

Frederick Douglass was born into the lifelong, evil, bondage of slavery. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, depicts his accomplishments. The narrative, however, is not only the story of his success. It is not simply a tale of his miraculous escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass’ narrative is, in fact, an account of his tremendous strides through literacy. He exemplifies a literate man who is able to use the psychological tools of thought to escape the intense bonds of slavery.

Hard labor, and deprivation of both physical and spiritual necessities, defined slavery in the south. Frederick Douglass struggled throughout his youth to keep himself amply fed and, in optimum physical condition. He struggled throughout his life, searching for some rational belief. Through his potentially lifelong struggle of slavery, he was forced to use his reasoning to overcome internal as well as external obstacles. Separated from his family and loved ones, Frederick Douglass was deprived of past cultural and religious beliefs. He also had the burden of watching his masters use religion as justification for the treacherous conditions of slavery. The ambiguous picture that he received about religion developed a question of God’s benevolence. If my master has God’s approval for all of his wrongdoing, how can religion be developed through good will. If God condones such appalling behavior, how can I follow such lead. Despite the hardships entailed, Frederick Douglass was surprisingly able to use his cognitive thought to effectively search for his worldly niche. He began to accumulate his own thoughts, values, goals and opinions and he began his journey toward psychological, internal understanding. Frederick Douglass had a positive attitude toward the conditions of slavery. He did not allow the slaveholders to capture his opinions and judgement. He did not allow the slaveholders to destroy his dignity.

Douglass successfully climbed the ladder from a position of a powerless slave to a strong, devoted, influential, individual. He did so when he began to divert from the path of ignorance to one of education and power. How did Douglass escape the blinding state of ignorance. How did Douglass manage to escape misery and attain happiness. How did Douglass manage the escape of bondage and slavery. This transition involved a series of processed, the first being the destruction of ignorance.

In the eyes of the slaveholders, a happy slave was an ignorant one. For this reason, they were denied any form of knowledge. The masters were fearful of discovering that a slave had run away or were plotting an escape. They were afraid of a slave acquiring a vision beyond the unjust conditions they lived by. In Frederick Douglass’, Narrative, he mentions how the first steps toward overcoming ignorance can lead to discontentment and realization of the harsh increments they live by as slaves. “…Whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom. I have found, that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one” (Douglass, 64). Frederick Douglass, however, possessed the power to look toward a different, happier future. This power was his optimism. It enabled him to transpose his ignorance to knowledge. His wisdom and hopefulness lead him to escape slavery.

How can a slave learn to read, write and analyze without any form of schooling. How can a person kept separated from the masses of society find the tools necessary for learning. How can a servant escape from their master’s evil watch to begin their educational adventure. In order to answer these questions, we must first understand Daniel J. Royer’s arguments posed in, “The Process of Literacy as Communal Involvement in the Narratives of Frederick Douglass.” Royer’s main emphasis is how a dictionary and grammar textbook is not sufficient for the mastery of literacy. The most necessary ability is to apply newfound knowledge to feelings and to convey these feelings through these literate means of expression. Such action completes Douglass’ first phase of escape.

Frederick Douglass had an advantage over many other slaves. He had the opportunity to learn from his master’s wife Mrs. Auld. From Mrs. Auld, Douglass received a preliminary, superficial background of literacy. Her husband, however, insisted that Douglass’ schooling come to an end. Mr. Auld was extremely opposed to the education of slaves for selfish reasons. Frederick Douglass cites a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Auld: “‘if you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master-to do as he is told to do…if you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave…’” (Douglass, 29). Douglass’ depiction of this conversation exemplified the ignorance of Mr. Auld. He was unaware that literacy, alone, can not allow a person to understand hardship, discontent, lack of mercy and their inner selves. It is literacy and cognition combined that promotes life realizations. Daniel J. Royer attempts to prove that a slave’s outlook can either permit them to exist outside the mental and physical boundaries of slavery. Frederick Douglas