When I think of Douglass’s story of how he had to teach himself or find creative ways to be taught to read and write, I see that it’s so much different than when I learned to read and write. Unlike his time period, ours’ we are demanded to read and write to do anything with our lives, that wasn’t the case back in the 1800’s. By law he wasn’t allowed to have anything to do with reading or writing. He is a good example of self-determination. He set his eyes on learning to become free one day. He is considered a inspiration to our time period, with all that he had to go through just for a basic education. Not to mention how creative he was, when he had writing contests to get the kids to write out letters so he could later use them to his own benefit.
For me, I had teachers and mentors to teach me, and honestly he learned at a faster pace than I. I didn’t really understand reading until the 5th grade. Before that I was constantly sounding out words to understand them because I really didn’t pay much attention in class to be taught, which only hurt me in my education back then.
There are a few similarities though when you think about it. Like we demand everyone to speak English, just like back in the 1800’s. If you couldn’t speak accurate English then you were considered stupid.
HI Scotty,
ReplyDeleteI like the point that you make about Douglass. African American slaves were not allowed to learn how to read and write; in fact, it was punishable if one was found performing such acts. The elite wanted to keep them in an oppressive state, so they created laws to maintain this state. Douglass, however, took matters into his own hands and decided to educate himself and in that process, he found freedom. I like the connection you make with the essay in regard to teachers and mentors. How did these persons help you?
Ms. C