Frederick Douglass Essay, Research Paper

In Frederick Douglass? writings I learned that his physical struggles and his

writing as resistance are nearly parallel. When Douglass is living in Baltimore

with the Auld family, Mrs. Auld began to teach him the alphabet. After this was

discovered by Mr. Auld, the teaching ceased, and Douglass was carefully watched

to be sure that he was not reading when alone. Despite this, Douglass was

insistent upon learning to read because he knew that his literacy would lead to

his freedom. His means of resistance through writing was going against what he

was allowed to do and doing what he knew was key to his survival as a human

being. ?In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of

my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress.?(p. 58) Douglass? physical

struggle as a means of resistance is very similar to his learning to read. They

were both forbidden. A good example of one of Douglass? physical struggles was

his fight with Mr. Covey. ?My resistance was so entirely unexpected, that

Covey seemed taken all aback.?(p.78) After winning this ?victory? Douglass

felt as he did when learning to read. It made him feel sure of himself, and it

made him feel like a real person in charge of his own destiny. ?It was a

glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery, to the heaven of

freedom.?(p.79)