Fredrick Douglas (1817-1895)-the most famous African American of the 19th century- raises some relations in regard to education, freedom and oppression. He states that the “the only way to keep people enslaved is to prevent them from learning and acquiring knowledge” (Douglas). Seeing how hard Master Hugh and his wife tried hard to prevent Douglas from acquiring education, Douglas compels a reader to the question “Is education the ultimate key to ending oppression in the society?”
Douglas makes insinuates that education and oppression are bitter rivals. He presents the change in character in his mistress Mrs. Hugh who changed from being a tender-hearted woman to one with tiger-like fierceness under the influence of slavery. Douglas states that one of the first things that Mrs. Hughs did was to cease instructing Douglas thereby posing the question “is education such an obvious and destructive threat to an oppressive system?” To affirm the response to this issue, Douglas states that Mrs. Hughs finally “became more violent in her opposition than her husband himself” (Douglas 3). So violent was Mrs. Hughs that she would grab newspapers from Douglas whenever she saw him with one.
Douglas proves that he had immense hunger for education and knowledge. He compels the reader to question the source of his assurance that that education would be the ultimate way to overcome slavery. Douglas went to the extent of offering poor white boys some bread so that they could offer him “more valuable bread of knowledge” (Warnick 27). Education offered Douglas a bold denunciation of slavery and a vindication of human rights. He was able to counter any allegations that were in support of slavery.
As one reads Douglas’s narrative the question of whether great education meant more capability for one to emancipate themselves from slavery arises. Douglas states that the more he read, the more he abhorred and detested his enslavers. As such, Douglas shows that education was indeed a powerful tool in the abolishment of slavery.
Works cited
Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Web 31 January 2017 https://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Douglass/Narrative/Douglass_Narrative.pdf
Warnick, Brian oppression, freedom and the Education of Fredrick Douglass. Web 31 January 2017 http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1071984.pdf
