Frederick Douglass: The Rise of a Slave

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he Rise of a Slave Frederick Douglass is a former slave who made great effort in order to obtain freedom. He is born into slavery in the state of Maryland and he barely knows his parents. Douglass is unique compare to other slaves because he learns how to read and write. He found a way to escape from his master and settles in Massachusetts. Frederick Douglass writes his text to abolish slavery and to change it as well; he plays an important role in securing the equal rights of African-Americans and the abolition of slavery. Frederick Douglass went through tough and undeserved treatment from the majority of his masters which took him through trials of slavery that enabled him to gain his education, gain his manhood and gain his freedom. Slaves are not allowed the opportunity of being educated, most slave holders generally go against slave literacy because they know education is knowledge and with knowledge comes truth. They are also concerned that if some slaves get an education, the literate slaves will forge passes, influence other slaves to rebel against their masters and try to escape which will cause a lot of dilemma among slaves and slave masters. Understanding the consequences of learning how to read and write, some slaves still often found alternative ways to learning. On plantations and ships, learning how to read and write became a communal effort, according to Deborah Brandt in The Process of Literacy as Communal Involvement in the Narratives of Frederick Douglass . She points out that “literacy involves met communication, involvement, and inter-subjectivity- a strong sense of shared human activity and new opportunities for community” (365). Brandt’s perspective explains why most slaves needed each other to learn how... ... middle of paper ... ...Of Frederick Douglass." Philosophical Studies In Education 39.(2008): 24-34. Education Research Complete. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. Brewton, Vince. "Bold Defiance Took Its Place" -- "Respect" And Self-Making In Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave." Mississippi Quarterly 58.3/4 (2005): 703-717. Humanities International Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2014. Dorsey, Peter A. "Becoming the Other: The Mimesis of Metaphor in Douglass's My Bondage and My Freedom." JSTOR. Modern Language Association, May 1996. Web. 20 Apr. 2014 Painter, Nell Irvin. "The Mind of Frederick Douglass by Waldo E. Martin,." JSTOR. The MIT Press, 1987. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. N.p.: Random House LLC, 2007. Print. The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume 2: 1650 to the Present. Ed. Martin Puchner. Shorter 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2013. Print

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