Saif Alhammami
Part A: – “I used to talk this matter of slavery over with them. I would sometimes say to them, I wished I could be as free as they would be when they got to be men “You will be free as soon as you are twenty‐one, but I am a slave for life! Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?” These words used to trouble them. they would express for me the liveliest sympathy, and console me with the hope that something would occur by which I might be free.” (pg.2) I chose this passage because it shows how Fredrick Douglass feels hopeless. He is talking to poor white boys who trades bread for books. Douglas says how he is more fortunate than these boys when it comes food because he is a salve under a wealthy man while they are poor but, since he is a slave, he doesn’t have access to “more valuable bread of knowledge” (books). He tells the boys how they will be free when they get older but not Fredrick because he is a slave. He says to them does he not deserve the right to be free as them? Then which the poor boys feel sorry for him and hope that in the future something must happen for him to be a free man.
Part B: –
Douglass showed resilience by learning to read even though he was a slave and not allowed too. He found ways to get his hands on books and learn to write when it was not allowed for him to do so. He would do things like trade bread with poor white boys for books and trick people into spelling contests so he can learn more about writing. “I immediately commenced copying them, and in a short time was able to make the four letters named. After that, when I met with any boy who I knew could write, I would tell him I could write as well as he. The next word would be,”1 don’t believe you. Let me see you try it.” I would then make the letters which I had been so fortunate as to learn, and ask him to beat that. In this way I got a good many lessons in writing, which it is quite possible I should never have gotten in any other way.”(pg.4) This shows resilience by he would go up to anyone who was able to write and say he knew more than them. As a slave people didn’t believe him so they would try and challenge him and in doing so Douglass learned more words which he says he wouldn’t have gotten in any other way.
Something hard for me was trying to focus on my work and studying. I went through all middle school without studying and it was a new concept for me in high school. I wouldn’t focus in class and would go home clueless. I would be lost and clueless having no idea what to do. I would get distracted easily either from my phone or just putting the work aside telling myself I would do it later and never do it. My grades fell and I had no idea how I would be ready for regents at the end of the year. So, I developed habits to help me now focus on my work at home even though I still have a little trouble to this day.
Some things I have taught myself over the years to focus on my work is to wait till nighttime when the house is quiet and start there. I like to turn off the lights and play a video in the background that isn’t too distracting. I found it much better for me to work when I don’t have anyone distracting me like my four-year-old sister. Sometimes I would pause my work to pay attention to the video and sometimes I pause the video to focus on my work. This has helped my resilience because I can now stay more focused for longer periods of time.
Staying focused can be hard but those things you mentioned do help. Being in a place with no distractions is the best place to work because 100 percent of your focus is on the task at hand and nothing else. Also, if you cannot remove distractions from yourself, move away from the distractions. Go somewhere where you can really focus and complete your work there.
Maintaining discipline within ourselves can be overwhelming to handle but I can relate and say that when working in a quiet environment from distractions helps a-lot especially at night for some reason. In my personal experience I assume sometimes waiting till nighttime to do work can be tiring so what I like to do is listen to “studying” music, it’s basically like quiet/calm sounds. It helps me stay focus and think my thoughts through, so it might work for you.
Yes good!
But what’s with the strange font type???