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Essay On Frederick Douglass And Education

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Essay On Frederick Douglass And Education
Without education, there can never be true freedom. Although your body may be free, your mind will remain confined by ignorance. Education frees your mind to the wonders of the world and allows you to think for yourself. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave by Frederick Douglass, Douglass realizes that he needs to be educated. In order to be totally free, one must first educate him or herself. In Frederick Douglass’s narrative, he first realizes that in order to gain freedom, he needs to educate himself. When Hugh Auld forbids Sophia Auld from educating Douglass, he realizes that in order to gain his freedom, he must have knowledge. Hugh Auld says that if a slave educated, he will never be satisfied with being a slave and will rebel against his master. By keeping slaves uneducated, they remain ignorant and will not question …show more content…
If a slave is able to read, he/she can then read what others have written, including works by abolitionists. By reading, the slave will gain knowledge of the true cruelty of slavery through the eyes of another. Slaves may then feel that they will be supported if they try to escape. By reading the works of abolitionists, slaves become aware of people who are willing to help them escape. Slaves would then know that if they try to escape, they will have others who support them and will help them. This would give them a sense of security, a bit of confidence to escape. Frederick Douglass also gained confidence and a bigger drive to escape after reading The Columbian Orator. When a slave is able to write, he/she can articulate the details of slavery through written means. Without knowing how to write, the slave can only speak. If he/she can write, he/she can publish books on their experiences in slavery to expose the cruelty of slavery to more quickly and efficiently than public speaking. If a slave cannot write, he/she cannot tell their side of the

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