Frederick Douglass Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Frederick Douglass - Essay Example According to the essay "Frederick Douglass" findings, examining the method that Douglass used in order to know how to read and write one will get a clear indication that abundant life was awaiting him. Douglas went through hardships in the house of his new master, Mr. Auld, whose wife offered to introduce him to the world of education. The wife, Mrs. Sophia Auld, was singularly motherly and kind to Douglas. At first, she treats Douglas like one of the family members to the extent of teaching him how to read and write. She had never been with slaves, so she knew nothing about how they were supposed to be treated (Douglas 76). However, when Mr. Auld knew what was taking place, he became an obstacle to Douglas’ education. He prevented the wife from her offers to the slave claiming that â€Å"slaves are unmanageable when they are educated†. This implied that if Douglass knew how to read and write, he would become a radical giving master’s hard time to manage. This st atement from a master gives us some light about the knowledge of reading and writing. Education will give one power to manage himself and not to depend on anybody or even allow another party to guide him on what to do. This illustrates the point that it is after knowing how to read and write that Douglas became successful after slavery. He knew how to manage himself and not depend on the decisions of other people. While he was being taught by Mrs. Auld, Douglass proved to be so intelligent and bright. This enabled him to secure a place in the shipyards as a worker.