Sunday, June 23, 2013

How was Douglass's view on education different from his masters' as told in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass?

Douglass's view on education differs from that of his
masters in terms of content and accessibility.  Because formal education is made
unavailable to slaves, Douglass sees "education" partly in terms of knowledge that he
can gain in alternative places.  When he is living in Baltimore, Douglass seeks the
neighborhood children to teach him things that they learn in school.  When he becomes
older and is able to take on apprenticeships, he sees these as part of his education as
well.  Douglass values the practical knowledge that he obtains just as he does the
formal literacy training he received when he first arrived in Baltimore.  The slave
masters do not believe that slaves should be afforded an education, particularly the
skills of reading and writing, because they think that educated slaves will be persuaded
by the abolitionist movement.  Douglass, on the other hand, believes that withholding
education further violates people and of course he is staunchly against
it.

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