Fredrick Douglas' Experiences with Learning to Read, Write, and Life Essay

Fredrick Douglas Experiences with Learning to Read, Write, and Life After Slavery - Essay ExampleDouglas underwent compressed struggle in rate to educate himself first out of curiosity and then out of sagaciousness for culture. He realized early on that the real way out of slaverys detention was to educate himself so that he could defend his claim to freedom. As per Douglas, the book Columbian Orator impress him at an early age and left a sizable impression on him. Douglas seems highly taken back at the tender age of twelve by the ideas presented in the book especially in connection of the slave and master argument presented in the text (Douglas). This inter legal action with knowledge especially Douglass interaction with Columbian Orator can be seen as the defining moment in his bearing because it is then that Douglas realizes that a slave can match up to a free man. Given withal the fact that the slave out maneuvers his master through argument (that is an application of kn owledge) Douglas was impressed with this method to recess the slavery problem. On a personal scale Douglas is liberated and free as soon as he realizes that his freedom lies with no one else but his own intellectual capabilities. This realization is enough to understand Douglas from a poor oppressed slave to someone who can stand up for his rights. While Douglas was progressing on intellectual fronts, he was confronted with opposition from the very person who had initiated his learning in the first place. Douglas was taught the first rudiment by his masters wife who tended to treat him as an equal human being. However, after repeated warnings from Douglass master, his mistress began to distance herself from Douglass education till she became totally opposed to it. Initially she helped Douglas to learn the alphabet and to read a little but afterwards she would humiliate Douglas if he were caught with a newspaper, book or other such material even in his private time. Such behavior drove Douglass curiosity even further so that he solicited the help of white boys his age in order to learn to read. Essentially the maltreatment meted out to Douglas due to his intellectual curiosity led Douglas to explore education as a means of liberation. It is at this point that Douglas begins to wonder if he will ever be given freedom (Douglas) and possibly it is at this point that Douglas begins to rely on intellect to claim and virtuoso(a) his personal freedom. As Douglass life proceeded one of his masters Covey was bent upon breaking the expression of the young Douglas through torture. Douglas would often receive beatings at the hands of Covey especially in the shape of whipping when he was only sixteen years old. Rather than back down from his position as a teacher of other slaves and a proponent of freedom, Douglas chose to stand up to Covey. A physical render down between Covey and Douglas ensured that Covey would not touch Douglas for the rest of his life. The mere idea of comparison as a human being was enough for Douglas to take onto his master given that such an action was taboo for its era. However, this does not indicate that Douglas became a rebellious character as his age progressed. Instead Douglas assumed a peaceful path that relied exclusively on education, knowledge and intellect in order to slope himself and others like him from slavery. After claiming his freedom Douglas began an exciting career as an abolitionist and helped