Education in Fredrick Douglass
Nicole Blount
Voices of America
English Literature 229.1
February 28, 2011
The Irony of Education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
The power of education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is one of the most important themes in the entire work, but it is not a theme with a consistent meaning. Although Frederick Douglass understands that the only path to freedom, both for himself and fellow slaves, is through learning to read, write, and have an educational base to build on, he is at the same time disgusted with education because it causes him to understand the full extent of the horrors of slavery. At one point, he states, “It [education] opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (Douglass 47).
In his autobiography, “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass often states that the condition of slavery and education are incompatible for slaves. Throughout the text, he is constantly oscillating between an intense desire to become more educated and gaining literacy and wanting to give up hope entirely. At one point, he states, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (Douglass 61). For Douglass, finally being able to read and understand more fully the implications of slavery sometimes served to make him more miserable as he came to comprehend the hopelessness of the situation for himself and other slaves. To make matters more complex, acquiring his education was a constant battle since he had to remain secretive since it was “unlawful to teach a slave to read” (Douglass 20). With the sense that the world was against his pursuit to learn, Douglass seemed to suffer because of his education and literacy as it became more advanced. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Voices of America
English Literature 229.1
February 28, 2011
The Irony of Education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
The power of education in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is one of the most important themes in the entire work, but it is not a theme with a consistent meaning. Although Frederick Douglass understands that the only path to freedom, both for himself and fellow slaves, is through learning to read, write, and have an educational base to build on, he is at the same time disgusted with education because it causes him to understand the full extent of the horrors of slavery. At one point, he states, “It [education] opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (Douglass 47).
In his autobiography, “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass often states that the condition of slavery and education are incompatible for slaves. Throughout the text, he is constantly oscillating between an intense desire to become more educated and gaining literacy and wanting to give up hope entirely. At one point, he states, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out” (Douglass 61). For Douglass, finally being able to read and understand more fully the implications of slavery sometimes served to make him more miserable as he came to comprehend the hopelessness of the situation for himself and other slaves. To make matters more complex, acquiring his education was a constant battle since he had to remain secretive since it was “unlawful to teach a slave to read” (Douglass 20). With the sense that the world was against his pursuit to learn, Douglass seemed to suffer because of his education and literacy as it became more advanced. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Cited: Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Boston, 1845. Print