The Power of Knowledge in Douglasss Learning to Read and Write - Essay Example

14 November The Power of Knowledge in Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write” To be a slave for life is not an option forall slaves. Frederick Douglass, in “Learning to Read and Write,” narrates his experiences as a struggling student of the English language. He wants to acquire literacy, but his slaveholders obviously will not allow him to learn something that will encourage him to become free. Douglass, nevertheless, finds ways to learn how to read and write, which demonstrates his resourcefulness and intelligence. This paper responds to the importance of learning to self-development and emancipation. Knowledge is a powerful means of developing people’s abilities, so that they can free themselves from their different disadvantaged conditions, but knowledge is nothing without determination and ingenuity and through the latter, even the most impossible dreams can be attained. That knowledge is power is already a cliche, but it is most essential for the disempowered sectors of society because they can use what they learned to improve their conditions in life. Douglass becomes miserable because of having full awareness of his wretched conditions. As a slave, he is not a human being. He has no freedoms and rights. His master controls his life, even the lives of his children. Therefore, he is more like a beast with no identity and future than an individual with a deeper purpose in life. Before realizing what his learning is for, Douglass sinks to anxiety because reading exposed him to the ills of the institution of slavery. Fortunately, he learns about the abolitionist movement, and he focuses his energy on running away and becoming free. Furthermore, Douglass understands that knowledge will help him in his quest for freedom. Literacy will be his ticket to freedom, as well as his means for success as a free man. His plan of learning how to read and write first, before running away, shows that he is an intelligent person, who knows long-term planning. Indeed, if he remains illiterate, he can easily be manipulated by others who know how to read and write. Douglass uses his knowledge of the fruits of literacy in producing long-term plans, which proves the supporters of slavery that blacks are not an inferior race. Their weaknesses, if present, are not inherent to them, but are products of the conditioning of slavery, so that they will stay ignorant and lacking in initiative for self-development. Douglass breaks away from the stereotype of the passive slave because of his knowledge that as a human being, he has rights and freedoms. He must and should be free, so he does all he can to prepare for the fateful day of his emancipation. Douglass demonstrates ingenuity and a firm resolution in reaching his dreams, because knowledge is not sufficient to be free. He is determined to learn literacy, but he has to be extra careful. He is resourceful enough to pay bread to street children who taught him how to read. By bragging to other children that he knows how to write, he also learned writing skills. At the same time, Douglass is observant of his surroundings. He studies letters from ships, which shows his determination to maximize his resources, however limited they are. Moreover, the copybooks of his young master proved to be invaluable. He practices how to write, while his masters are away. Douglass clearly does not know how to give up. He knows the painful punishment, perhaps even death, which awaits him; if his owners learned that he was studying how to write. But he no longer minds his short-term need for safety, when he has the larger long-term goal of freedom. The human being in him naturally wants to be free, and slavery cannot stop him forever. He builds his knowledge and establishes contacts and resources, which will one day help him to be free. In his mind, Douglass has a singular mission: to be free and to be a human being with dignity once more. Education and slavery do not mix, as Douglass learns from his masters, because slavery is disempowering, while education is empowering. Slavery disempowers people, as it takes away their rights and freedoms. It dehumanizes them by removing everything that makes them human, such as having a birthday and the right to celebrate it, and knowing parents and siblings, and being with them. Slavery ensures that slaves remain slaves by keeping them ignorant and exhausted from daily work. Education can counteract the dehumanizing effects of slavery. It nourishes the mind, which re-energizes the spirit. Education gives knowledge and skills to earn more knowledge. In Douglass’ case, his self-education process opens him to a world of opportunities. These opportunities instilled hope and peacefulness for him. He might have gone mad, or become angry and violent because of his conditions as a slave, but knowledge helped him find the light to other alternative futures. He realizes that he has another future, but he must work hard for it. He pursues his education with strong will and perseverance, and soon enough, he did use his education to be free. Douglass reminds people something that they can take for granted: their education and freedoms. As a slave, he has none of both, but through education, he soon acquires his freedom. As a learner of English, this student understands the sacrifices needed to learn a new language. Academic English is rigorous and unforgiving in its grammar and mechanics. Douglass inspires English language learners to never stop learning and studying. They have the freedom to learn, and that is an essential advantage and privilege. In addition, it will help to be ingenious like Douglass. As a college student, learning English is not the only goal, and other classes and responsibilities compete for time and energy. Time management skills, as Douglass has shown, are critical in learning English efficiently. English learners must find time to learn how to read and write academic English. They must persevere and be encouraged by their milestones. If a slave can do it, a free individual can do it too- to be an excellent speaker and writer of another language, to be as a good as Douglass himself. Work Cited Douglass, Frederick. “Learning to Read and Write.” New Voices. Read More