Throughout this excerpt from his autobiography, Frederick Douglass constantly refers to the importance of Education and Literacy. He continuously details not only that education represented power, but also that an educated and literate slave would be dangerous in the eyes of the slave-loving southerners. Education all throughout time has represented knowledge, and knowledge is seen as power, both of which could easily corrupt someone, hence why slave owners chose to keep slaves in the dark in regards to education. Douglass argued that education was seen as the key to success and free thoughts, however, both were luxuries unknown to a slave unless they took matters into their own hands. In lines 18-32, Douglass describes what was an abnormality in those times- a white woman (his master’s wife) taking pity on him, and teaching him to read and write. Douglass’s juxtaposition of his master’s wife’s attitude toward him- which was one of a “pious, warm and tender-hearted” nature, to the way the rest of society perceived him as a “mere chattel” helped highlight just how abnormal her behavior was. This contrast further developed through the fact that to treat a slave as a human being back in those days was “not only wrong, but dangerously so,” yet despite that commonplace assertion found all throughout life back then, his master’s wife still treated Douglass no different than she would treat a friend. This section of the text elaborated upon her kind-hearted nature, which led her to pity and help those worse off than her, no matter how society perceived it. Douglass emphasized this point by using mostly long, well constructed sentences that were filled with figurative language. This syntax helped elaborate upon the tone of newfound hope in this section, by demonstrating his flowing thoughts and feelings, due to his newfound freedoms. This syntax helped emphasize the fact that Douglass had acquired the very knowledge slave owners sought to keep from him, therefore acquiring the power that had been kept from him his whole life. In lines 33-56, Douglass’ tone shifts from the hopeful and optimistic sense of potential, to showing the overwhelming negativity slavery can have on someone. Douglass displays this by Frederick Douglass’ “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave” is a brief look into what it means for a slave to be free during the nineteenth century, and how a slave can hope to achieve liberty through literacy. As Carson describes, Douglass employs “the use of certain literary strategies to emphasise the importance of writing in general as the only means for the slave both to overcome his social status of bondage and to acquire a true sense of self” . Douglass demonstrates Analysis on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Salve The blacks' feeling of frustration and resistance towards the white-Americans is more than just hatred. This racial discrimination suggests that race is an issue with deeper roots—and it involves both the human emotion and understanding. Unsurprisingly, how the white Americans treated the blacks many years ago ultimately defined, may it be consciously or unconsciously, the social relationships that the United States
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