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Sarah Scantland

Professor Amy Ludwig

English 091

11 January 2017

Essay 1: Learning to Read and Write Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, born in 1818 in Maryland, was raised as a slave for most of his life.

As a young boy a sliver of education was offered to him by his masters wife, his mistress.

Before long the realization that the education of slaves could lead to the demise of 1800s

America brought his education to a screeching halt. As a determined and courageous young

man, Douglass set out on a quest for knowledge and intelligence thats unlike any struggle I can

imagine. Although he and I have lived extremely different lives, we both believe that knowledge

is worth fighting for, knowledge is power, and knowledge is the key to unlocking mental

freedom.

After Douglass master convinced his wife to discontinue his studies, a young Frederick

had to find multiple creative ways to provide himself with the education he so deeply longed for.

He, like myself, knew that knowledge, true knowledge, was one of the few things in life that is

genuinely worth fighting for. Generally in my life, unlike Douglass, I havent had to fight for my

education. Its been served to me on a silver platter by teachers who joyfully pass on what

theyve attained. Now, times have begun to change; the standards set in place by our government

are changing. Education has become more about how well students can take a test and less about

how much knowledge theyre obtaining. The focus has shifted from creating productive

members of society to creating successful test takers. The result is only dumbing down the future

generations as each year passes. The educational system in America needs a massive overhaul; it
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needs to be brought back to the core values of education; it needs to be fought for because

wherever there is knowledge, there is power.

The power of education is immense and at times can be dangerous. Douglass experienced

both the power and danger firsthand. He was mistreated by his mistress only after she was

convinced that education and slavery were incompatible with each other (Douglass 119). The

true danger in knowledge lies in that once someone knows better, the possibility that something

may be done to change the situation comes to life. This is what Douglass master and mistress

feared and what was brought to fruition. Douglass gained the ability to read and informed

himself on the injustices of slavery. Along with the awareness of his injustices came a crushing

amount of frustration. His newly ingested bread of knowledge freed his mind, but trapped his

soul (Douglass 119).

An abundance of knowledge can set free any mind. After ingeniously finishing his

education with the tools that he utilized around him Douglass began to read books that discuss

the power of truth over the conscience of the slaveholder (Douglass 121). This struck a chord

with Douglass and roused his soul to eternal wakefulness, enveloping all of his senses

(Douglass 121). He felt free because the intelligence he gained opened up his mind to a whole

new world of possibilities. Douglass became aware that there were slaves who fought for, and in

some cases won, their freedom. The blinders of ignorance once removed by knowledge allow the

mind to awaken to the endless possibilities of the human condition. This is much like the

situation of the fireman, Guy Montag, in Fahrenheit 451. He lives in a futuristic world that is

uninspired by education, rather valuing the mindless technology that consumes them. Once

Montag gets a taste of the education he has been denied he cant help but strive to attain more.

Montag, much like Douglass, want to change the world. All that these men needed to do so was
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their knowledge. Once you are awakened to injustices and wrong doings, you may awaken

others.

Were all humans; our intelligence is what separates us from one another. Its the key to

who we are. Its something to be cherished and pursued, never taken for granted. We as a society,

like Douglass, need to stand up and demand the education that we deserve. Knowledge is

something that is worth fighting for. Knowledge is powerful. Knowledge is the key to setting

free ones mind.

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Sarah Scantland

Professor Amy Ludwig

English 091

12 January 2017

Works Cited

1. Douglass, Frederick. Learning to Read and Write. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology,

Edited by Samuel Cohen, Fourth Edition, Bedford/St. Martins, 2014, PP. 118-
123.