Introduction
The book, “Up from Slavery” is a chronicle of the life of Booker T. Washington. He narrates of his life from slavery to schoolmaster. The book recounts how Booker T. Washington scaled the social ladder through manual labor, hard work, relationships with famous and great people and a decent education. The purpose of the book is to illustrate the problems that faced the African Americans by chronicling the problems of one. This way he would demonstrate how he rose from servitude to success thereby demonstrating how other fellow humans could do the same, in addition to how philanthropists and sympathizers could help the process. The main argument in the book is that through hard work and education, the black community and the human race at large can rise from insignificance to success. Some of the themes presented in the book include education, humility and reform.
Major Themes in the Book
The following are the major themes in the book: -
- Importance of Education
The importance of education is discussed and highlighted throughout the books. As slave, Booker T. Washington was not able to acquire education. After release from slavery, he went on to acquire education. Throughout the narrative, the main argument is the importance of education. In his mind, Booker T. Washington thought it was not sufficient to just read books for ideas and facts. He reckoned that it was important as well to acquire a trade and skills that made them marketable. Booker T. Washington believed that all black citizens out to conduct themselves with modest and work hard in order to acquire skills and learn a trade because this was the only way they could scale the social ladder and gain significance.
- The Dignity of Work
Booker T. Washington believed in the importance of education. This is the main theme in the book. However, in the view of Booker T. Washington, education alone was not just enough. In order to acquire dignity, he thought that it was important for black citizens to acquire a trade. This is because he believed in the tremendous value acquired through work. Without this, he believed that his race would never scale social ladders. Additionally, he believed that by acquiring skills, black citizens would regain the dignity they lost through slavery.
- The Net of Slavery
Booker T. Washington refers to the net of slavery in his narrative. Slavery was an institution in the United States of America for a very long time. This impacted very negatively on the black and white citizens. The black community was kept in bondage for many years and made to work in harsh conditions with little or no pay. They were also denied social amenities and the rights enjoyed by the white majority. These rights and privileges included acquisition of education and living in decent quarters among others. This inordinately made it difficult for the black citizens to contribute meaningfully to the society.
- The relationship Between Races
It is worth mentioning that Booker T. Washington’s work was serialized. This was in order for him to get reviews and feedback from his critics. Through this, he realized that he had the ability to reach out to many and diverse people. As such, he thought to enlighten them n the need and importance of a cordial relationship between races. In his narrative, Booker T. Washington paints this theme as a prerequisite for the growth and development of the society and the nation at large. He used his influence and his far and wide reach to preach ethnic tolerance for the growth of the community. This was also on recognition of the long road to development on societal status for the black community. Booker T. Washington knew that old habits and attitudes die hard and it was not inconceivable that the black community would avenge for the oppression that was meted on them in the hands of the white majority. His wisdom was recognizing that this would jeopardize their chances and consequently preaching tolerance.
Conclusion
The book is a testament to the black citizens in the United States of America that the whole community can raise from the ashes to success. The book offers scenarios that allow their souls to blossom and rise in the knowledge that one of their own broke the chains of apathy and rose to significance. The book did not however pay much attention to the raw talent in the black community and how they might have harnessed that to spur themselves ahead. The main focus of the book was learning skills from the conventional halls of formal education. The book, even though it was written in the previous century, I very relevant in today’s society. People may not be bonded in slavery anymore but still suffer from the inadequacies of modern-day oppression. Through the wisdom of the book, people are aware that they can reclaim themselves and place themselves on a pedestal even in the face of adversity. I endorse the assertions of the author and believe that his endeavors and achievements, especially his efforts in the liberation of the black citizens were founded in the love of peace and humanity. His contribution to historical scholarship is exemplified by his contributions to developing vocational schools and his contribution to literature through authored books.
Work cited
Washington, Booker T. Up from Slavery: An Autobiography. Radford, Va: Wilder Publications, 2008. Print.
