Maryfer Mariano- FD #1

Part one: What is the effect of Douglass’s own reading, in general, for him?  Reread paragraphs five and six.  In responding to this question, look carefully at how he describes his reading of both “The Columbian Orator,” and Sheridan’s speeches about Catholic emancipation. 

The effect of Douglass’s own reading in general was eye opening for him. He learned and understood better the deeper meaning of things that he was already slightly aware of. When he read Sheridan’s speech, he felt his thoughts about slavery heard. He felt some sort of freedom of speech through reading For example, he mentioned “They
 gave
 tongue
 to 
interesting
 thoughts 
of 
my
 own 
soul,
 Which had
 frequently
 flashed 
through
 my
 mind,
 and died
 away 
for 
want
 of
 utterance” pg 2 paragraph 3. He explains how what he read expressed his inner thoughts and feelings about slavery and human rights. Although reading was a way for him to feel heard in a way, he also felt frustrated because after all the reading he had done, he couldn’t do anything about slavery, or his lack of freedom, or his understanding of unfairness and violation of his human rights. Douglas began to hate every slave owner even more than before, and saw other slaves as stupid and clueless because they didn’t know what he knew. He viewed reading as a curse because it kept him in agony and thinking about freedom alot. Freedom became something he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

Part two:  Choose one part from the Douglass reading that you think is significant; it should be a part that you think has deeper meaning.  Copy that part, enclosing it in quotation marks and giving the Paragraph number. Now analyze Douglass’s exact words in this quotation carefully and explain what is significant about this quotation.  I expect you to write a full paragraph, 5-6 sentences.

“As 
I
 writhed
 under
 it,
 I
 would
 at times 
feel
 that
 learning 
to
 read
 had
 been a
 curse rather
 than
 a 
blessing. 
It
 had
 given
 me 
a
 view
 of 
my 
wretched
 condition,
 without
 the remedy.” paragraph 1 pg 3. 

This is the one part of the passage that stood out to me the most because reading was something he was so eager to learn and do, and to hate it so much after accomplishing such goal was shocking to see. Although I completely understand his frustration from learning so much about his “condition” and being unable to do anything about it, I wouldn’t see learning to read as a curse because there’s power in being aware of your situation. Douglas wished he would stop thinking and at some point envied the slaves who couldn’t read. This was his form of wanting to escape his reality. He saw reading as a curse because it made him more aware of his reality, when he wasn’t aware of the many things that he now knows, he wasn’t full of so much hate as he is now. He also sees with more clarity and justification  the unfairness that comes with the white privilege of his master and he can’t do anything with respect to this.