Compare And Contrast The Ability To Read And Write Frederick Douglass

The ability to read and write is a powerful symbol of freedom in learning to read and write by Frederick Douglass. What would it mean to not be able to read and write? One might think they couldn’t achieve much in the world or be taken seriously by those around them But most of us never even give it a second thought. First being able to read and write gives one mental freedom. Second Fredrick Douglas almost wishes he didn’t have the desire to learn how to read and write its as he wishes he didn’t know the difference. Lastly the power of knowledge and what can do for one.

One of the many definitions of freedom is “the state of being free or at liberty than in confinement or under physical restraint” (diconary.com) when someone says freedom one usually thinks about slavery or the ability to do as they please speak freely, religious views, but you don’t really think about mental freedom the ability to read and write and how mentally freeing that can be. The way the world can open up to one who can read and write is so different then

I often wished myself a beast. I preferred the condition of the meanest reptile to my own. Anything no matter what to get rid of thinking” (Fredrick Douglas 132) He or she might not give any thought to the fact he or she can read at write. It comes very easily to put a pen to paper and start to write, that it’s not given a second thought. But for Fredrick Douglas literacy brought his mind to utter torment. He knew what he wanted; he knew that the ability to be able to read and write could give him so much more than his fellow slaves. The saying “ignorance is bliss” is something that holds true to Fredrick Douglas. He wishes he could stop thinking about learning to read and write he wishes he could stop thinking that he did know the difference between being literate and illiterate. He deserves to have the power of reading and writing so he could be someone, someone he knew he wanted to