Reading Response Learning 
to 
Read
 and 
Write by Frederick
 Douglass

Randy Duran February 5,2022

Part 1: After the young Douglass loses his mistress as his teacher, what strategies does he practice to continue learning to read? Who does he turn to for help? How does he persuade them to help him?

After young Douglass loses his mistress as his teacher a strategies he practices to continue to learn how to read is becoming friends with young white children. In the fourth paragraph Douglass mentions “The
 plan
 which
 I
 adopted,
 and
 the
 one
 by
 which
 I
 was
 most
 successful,
 was
 that
 of
 making
 friends 
of 
all 
the
 little
white
 boys 
whom
 I
 met 
in 
the
 street.
As 
many 
of 
these
 as 
I 
could, 
I
 converted 
into
 teachers.
With 
their
 kindly 
aid,
obtained
 at
 different
 times
 and
 in
 different
places,
I 
finally
 succeeded
 in
 learning 
to 
read.” This shows us that Douglass used the resources around him to reach his goal. Douglass also mentioned when running errands he would carry a book with him. ” When I was sent to errands, I always
 took
 my
 book 
with
 me,
and
 by
 doing 
one
 part
 of
 my
 errand
 quickly,
I
found
 time 
to
 get 
a 
lesson
 before
 my
 return.”

Question 2-What does Douglass mean when he says that “learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing” (paragraph 5)?  Furthermore, what does he mean when he says that “freedom…was ever present to torment me” (same paragraph)?  In other words, is there a downside to becoming literate?  What might that be?

What Douglass means when he said “learning to read had been curse rather than a blessing” was because now that he understands his fate he can not stop thinking about it “
Anything, 
no 
matter 
what,
to 
get 
rid
 of
 thinking!
 It
 was 
this
everlasting
 thinking
 of
 my 
condition 
that 
tormented
 me.
There
 was
 no 
getting
rid 
of 
it.
” The downside to becoming literate is knowing your fate and knowing you situation with no way to escape it. Douglass understood his and other slaves condition and knew he had no way out but also understood if there was a slightest chance of freedom he need to learn how to read and write.