education and Identity Synthesis Essay

Although the idea of oppression is thought poorly of today, it wasn't always considered terrible. As oppressed people gain knowledge, the information gained accredits and delivers identity that an individual can become more than what society expects of them. Identity is one of the direct products of education, an essential part of life that determines character and gives opportunities; yet at the same time creates danger. That is the frightening part. The authors Frederick Douglass, Maya Angelou, and Sherman Alexie demonstrate previously stated principles through similar appeals of logos and pathos, presented in different ways.

These author’s use logos to show that education is a form of exposure to different ways of thinking, creating danger in knowledge. “He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” (Douglass) Frederick Douglass wanted to learn; to understand the way things worked; and most importantly, to change his fate and his identity. However, Mr. Auld was logical in his approach. When Mrs. Auld taught Douglass how to read, she gave him an identity, a will to learn. This expresses the danger in knowledge. He learned a new way of thinking that multitudes of people, besides himself could already do, and wanted to devour the opportunity. Logically speaking “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non Indians alike.” (Alexie) Further connecting to Douglass and the overall danger in knowledge, Alexie represents the other side of what Douglass was saying. Certain races containing knowledge is considered dangerous by what are considered dominant races. The...

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...only themselves, but society as well.

Many people would say that education is not important to who you are and that it does not shape you. Although a countless number of people believe otherwise, the determining factor is that personal knowledge is going to shape who a person becomes. A boy in the Philippines sends his American sponsors his report card every year so that they know their money is being used to create his identity, so they know, they are helping that little boy. To be a part of something so profound as creating an identity, is why teachers are so important and why learning is so important. To help a child become more than what society would ever expect of them on their own is a gift. So thank the teachers because without them “we couldn’t be” (Angelou). Be grateful that there is a free education, a free identity, for everyone, it just has to be found.