Journal 34

Nika Bogoslovsky
11/23/07
Douglass

“…the argument which he so warmly urged against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn.”

Summary:

In this part of Douglass’s narrative, he talks about how his master wife, Mrs. Auld tried to teach him how to read. She taught him his ABC’s and how to spell simple words, however just as he began to pick it up, her husband forbade her to teach him any more.

Response:

I think this is my favorite part of Douglass’s book because instead of giving up and losing hope he fought. Here is this guy who’s been through the worst things imaginable, shouldn’t have any hope for anything and the minute he gets some sort of light, it’s taken away. He could have stopped caring, disregarded his little amount of education and continued to live terribly but instead he fought his way into literacy. It’s amazing that he had and stamina at all to learn how to read and write on his own; it can’t be an easy thing to do. It really puts in perspective what each of us has, what we’re capable of and what we all take for granted. Mr. Auld was so right in saying that it was a danger for slave owners if people like Douglass learned how to read, what’s even better is that’s what gave Douglass the motivation to do it. In all goodness, Douglass proved Mr. Auld right and became one of the most influential people of his time.