Frederick Douglass Cyber-Assignment 1 Due by Sept. 2
In the English 1A 8-8:50 a.m. please post your response to two (2) of the discussion questions following the essay. Each response should be three (3) paragraphs (min.) Include two citations, one free paraphrase and one direct quote in each response.
Secondly, respond to one classmate's post.
Secondly, respond to one classmate's post.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 9:48 AM
41 Comments:
Mervin Deguzman
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
30 August 2013
Frederick Douglass Cyber Assignment
1.In the essay that Douglass written, he mentioned the different ways he had learn to read and write. He first learned his alphabet from his mistress and suddenly stopped teaching him because of the inequality of the people. Douglass was black and he was a slave; therefore, he was not to learn how to read or write. Although his mistress had stop teaching him, he started to look for different ways to learn. He then first tried to learn how to read.
Douglass had made friends with “little white boys whom I met in the street” (130). He then turned them into his own teachers. He had met them in different times at different places to aid him to learn how to read. He then learned how to read because of the boys. He then talked to the boys and say “you will be free when you become men. I on the other hand, will and forever shall be a slave” (131).
He learned how to write by being in Durgin and Bailey’s ship yard. He then saw the carpenters that gave him a piece of wood. The carpenters had told him what to write on it. Every single letter corresponds to each section of the ship. This is how he learned how write. From that point on, he kept teaching himself to write even more letters by copying Webster’s Spelling Book until he learned them all without copying it directly.
2.The main focus on this essay was about Douglass learning how to read and write. This essay wasn’t just about that. It was also about Douglass’ mistress, Mrs. Hugh. She on the other hand, learned something different. Something more deliberately cruel.
Mrs. Hugh was “a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear” (130). She was the one who first taught Douglass his alphabet but all that have come to a stop when she realized that they are not equal and soon became a “cold-hearted” she beast. “She finally became more violent than her husband” (130). It made her even angrier when she saw Douglass with a newspaper. She would rush into him with a piercing look in her eyes that says, “Don’t you dare read that”. She have come to a conclusion that education and slavery is not consistent with one another.
This was very hard for Douglass for his education had come to a halt but soon resumed when he found those boys in the street.
Taylor Byias
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50
29 August 2013
Frederick Douglass Response Frederick Douglass Response
1. Frederick Douglass taught himself to read and write from his mistress, neighborhood children, the shipyard, and Mater Thomas’s copy book. His determination and eagerness to learn drove him to try any means necessary to read and write. “The first step had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.” (130) By teaching him the alphabet, his mistress had awakened an eagerness to learn within him, and he wanted to learn everything.
The neighborhood children helped him by also teaching him to read. Whenever he went on errands, he finished it quickly so that he could be taught how to read. He also gave the children bread and payment sometimes.
The shipyard was his first experience writing. He learning methods were a bit unorthodox, as he learned abbreviations and shorthand used in the shipyard first. Then he practiced at home. When his young Master Thomas began school, he used Master Thomas’s copy book to practice writing also. His handwriting would look identical to his master's.
2. Frederick Douglass’s mistress goes through an education of sorts. After being told that she cannot educate slaves on how to read and write, she first doesn't stop. She didn't want to keep Frederick Douglass in the dark. Her husband and society reprimand her and tell her that it is unacceptable to teach slaves to read and write, and eventually she gives in and slowly but surely stops teaching Frederick Douglass how to read.
When she stops teaching Frederick Douglass how to read, she loses her compassion and feeling for all things. She no longer treats Frederick Douglass as a human being, and instead as property. Her entire demeanor changes, from innocent and unassuming, to nasty and vile. Your education can shape you and who you become.
The results of the mistress’s education is that she had a complete change of attitude and demeanor. “Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under it's influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamb like disposition gave way to one of tiger like fierceness.” (130) The norms of slavery proved harsh on her personality, changing it from one of happiness and care to one of anger and neglect.
Samantha Gober
English 1A 8-8:50
Professor Sabir
31 August 2013
Learning to Read and Write Response
1)
In “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass, Frederick learns a great deal of things. He first learns his alphabet from his mistress who was said to be “tender hearted” (129). Her kind ways were quickly changed by slavery.
Frederick then had to sneak around to read and write. The white boys he befriends teach him to read. Frederick gets in as much reading as he can when he has down time. He mentions reading “The Columbian Orator” He says, “Every Opportunity I got, I used to read this book” (131).
In the process of learning to read, Frederick also learns more about slavery and becomes very regretful of this knowledge. He feels that, “learning to read had become a curse rather than a blessing” (131). This does not hold back his desire to write because he realizes he may be able to escape slavery. He practices his writing by copying letters he sees in a ship-yard and a dictionary. To further his writing abilities, he gets help from his friend Thomas. He copies much of his work also. He finally masters writing altogether.
4)
In Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write he describes the pain and joyous moments of his newly acquired skills of both reading and writing. Douglass first learns the alphabet from his mistress. That gave him the determination to further his knowledge even after his mistress no longer approved of him doing so.
When I was younger, I longed to be an adult so that I could make my own decisions and do as I please. I used to imagine how great it would be to live on my own and not follow any of my parents’ rules anymore. I couldn’t wait till the day I moved out.
Later, I discovered how difficult it is to be on my own and make the right decisions. I see now how easy it was to do as my parents said and have them take care of me. I no longer can ask for them to support me when I’m broke or need help with anything. Living so far away can be stressful when I need that support from them. This relates to Douglass in that he is regretful of his reading and writing. He says, “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers” (132).
There was also a brighter side for Douglass and I. Moving across the country gave me the chance to experience a different way of life. I understand now what’s important to me. I benefited from this in many ways, such as getting to know different cultures and learning the value of a dollar. In Douglass’s case, he was very eager to read and write. He accomplished this in time with pride and brought freedom to his mind.
Ariana Yu
Professor Sabir
English 1A, 8:00-8:50
3 September 2013
“Learning to Read and Write” Responses
1) Frederick Douglass had a strong determination to learn to read and write. First, he took lessons from his mistress, who taught him the alphabet. However her husband found slavery and literacy irreconcilable and stopped teaching him. After this, Douglass was pretty much on his own in learning—he didn’t have a “teacher”. He then took advantage of every opportunity he had to educate himself.
Whenever Douglass was in a room by himself, he would always have a book. For example, when he got a hold of the book called, “The Columbian Orator”, he took “Every opportunity I got…to read this book” (131). In this book, he learned more about emancipation, human rights, and began to despise his enslavers. In addition to this, he would try to become friends with the white boys he came across on the street. He would trade with them bread in exchange for the more expensive bread of enlightenment (130).
Another way Douglass taught himself was meeting with boys who he knew was literate. He would challenge them to a contest to see who could write better. By doing this, he would learn new words, as he described it, “In this way I got a good many lessons in writing” (134). Also, he practiced writing words he found in Webster’s Spelling Book and Master Thomas’s copy-book on fences, walls, and on the ground. His constant perseverance has lead him to become an educated person.
4) Frederick Douglass really wanted to teach himself how to read ever since his mistress informed him of the alphabet. He described it, “Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell” (130). However, while he was slowly educating himself, he discovers things that causes him to develop painful thoughts. Similarly, I really wanted to teach little kids piano ever since my piano friends started boasting about how many students they had. However, I soon realized the dark sides of being a piano teacher.
One thing I completely forgot when craving about becoming a teacher is that teaching requires time. My Saturday mornings used to be free—I could sleep in late, watch the traditional Saturday morning cartoons, or hang out with friends. Now, I have to set aside that time for my students. A teacher also needs patience, something that I always struggle with. Once in a while, some of my students would decide not to practice, which would in turn cause me to become frustrated. At times I would feel that teaching piano has been a burden rather than a hobby (132).
Nevertheless, becoming a teacher taught me many valuable and vital lessons. For example, I learned how much work it takes to earn money (I consider this my first job). I now value every cent I have. Also, I am managing my money better, which will help me in the long run. In addition to this, while being a teacher, I got to learn about the different personalities of my students. Some learn faster, some learn slower, and all of them interpret songs differently from one another. I find it interesting how every student is unlike the other.
Kimberly Young
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50
3 September 2013
1) In the article “Learning to Read and Write, Frederick Douglass describes his experience of learning to educate himself with helps from Whites. First, Douglass learns the alphabet from his mistress. After teaching Douglass the alphabet his mistress discovers the inequality of only teaching Douglass, so she stops. Douglass’ mistress leaves Douglass with determination to learn himself. Later, for every opportunity that Douglass could receive, he uses it in reading the book entitled “The Columbian Orator” (131). He learns many great facts about slavery from this book.
In addition to learning to read, he also learns how to write from the white boys. Douglass knows that all white boys are literate and will show him words that he doesn’t know. Douglass comes up with this plan to trick the white boys into “teaching” new words. First, Douglass tells the white boys he writes as well as them (134). Then, he writes a word that is easy for the white boys to beat. When the white boys write a more challenging word, Douglass learns a new word that he didn’t before. From the challenges, Douglass learns good lesson in writing.
Another method Douglass teaches himself how to write is copying words. Every time Douglass has some time alone at home, he “ [spends] the time in writing in the spaces left in Master Thomas’s copying book, copying what [Master Thomas] had written” (134). After learning to write the words, he writes it anywhere he could find. His determination and eagerness helps Douglass succeed in learning how to read and write.
While Douglass learns how to read and write, he also learns a lot about slavery and freedom. In the book “The Columbian Orator,” Douglass learns that “the slave was represented as having run away from his master three times” (131). This influences him to escape from slavery and seek freedom. From this journey, Douglas learns about emancipation, slavery, and freedom.
Kimberly Young
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50
3 September 2013
4) In “Learning to Read and Write,” Frederick Douglass’ education was pleasurable and painful at the same time. In the early years of Douglass’ education, Douglass learned the alphabet from his mistress. He described his experience, “Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch…” (131). Douglass was so elated that the mistress started him off in his education. When the mistress found that it was unfair that Douglass was the only slave being taught, she stopped. This was a painful moment for Douglass because he could no longer receive education, but instead his pain turned into determination. Similarly, when I was a ninth grader, I learned something about this world I will never forget about in my life. In the world, everything is changing very quickly, including the forms of diseases. Today, there are probably more than a thousand of diseases that humans could possibly get.
It all started when my biology teacher assigned us a cancer project; we were to research about a specific kind of cancer. Before researching, I had never known the reality behind cancer. I thought this would be project which I could learn the causes of cancer and maybe possible cures for it. Once, I started to research I found information that broke my heart. I was crushed and devastated by the number of people in the world who had cancer. The worst part was that the disease didn’t have a cure. After researching about the symptoms that could possibly show that a person had cancer, I was worried about my own health. This was because I had headaches every now and then, and I saw while searching that if you have headaches quite often, it might be a symptom of cancer. Every night I couldn’t sleep afraid that I might have cancer. When I couldn’t sleep, I would search up more about cancer to relieve my stress. My stressed didn’t go away until my yearly checkup; the doctor checked me and said I was healthy. After that day, my stressed slowly disappeared.
After thinking back, I thought it was a really interesting experience for me because I had never really have deeply researched a topic. It actually taught me a lot about cancer and a lesson to not assume things that aren’t clearly proved. I have to admit that I was stupid and could have gone to the doctor early to relieve more stress. Today, I don’t regret being assigned that project because I learned ways to help prevent cancer, which are lifelong skills that would help keep my body healthy. The moral which I gained from this experience was the power of truth over the misunderstandings of cancer (131).
Alma Ramirez
Prof. Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50AM
September 3, 2013
Response to Frederick Douglass’s Cyber Assignment
1. In Frederick Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write” he describes his process in all the things he had to go through to learn to read and write as well as learn other things regarding his own life as a slave. He first starts of talking about his process of learning to read. He talks about how his mistress gave him the alphabet to look at, but once he wanted to look at the newspaper his masters wouldn’t approve. Douglass then goes on to explain how he also go help from white kids around his neighborhood. He would go to them and give them a piece of bread, and in return they would teach him to read. When he would talk to these white kids, he also learned at the time that he would be a slave for life while they would be free when they turned 21. (131)
When he was 12 years old, Douglass also read a book entitled “The Columbian Orator” which gave him the many thoughts of hating slavery and wanting freedom. “But while they relieved me of one difficulty, they brought another even more painful that the one which I was relieved.” (132) Douglass also is interested in the word abolitionist and he tries every possible way to learn what it meant. At first he looked it up in the dictionary, but it did not give him much help. So he then went on to read a newspaper and once he read stories about abolitionist, he finally realized it meant any slave who did anything wrong, like killing his master or running away. This shows just how much Douglass worked in order to learn by never giving up.
At the end Douglass explains how he learned to write. He learned by being at a ship-yard. Every time that they made a part, they wrote the initials of what it was for, and so Douglass learned these few letters. Then he would go on to other kids and bet on what each other knew that way Douglass could gain some knowledge from them. In the entire passage not only do we learn that Douglass learned to read and write, but also the pain that slaves underwent as well as unfair treatment towards them.
4. While learning to read and write Frederick Douglass also describes how now only it brought happiness, but also pain. He quickly learns how slaves are treated unfairly for their entire lives and how not much can be done to get freedom. He describes how reading the book “The Columbian Orator” gave “tongue to interesting thoughts of his own soul, which had frequently lashed through my mind, and died away for want of utterance.” (131) Similarly to Douglass, I have experienced a both pleasurable yet unpleasant experience in learning.
Sometime around the 11th grade my teacher Ms. Valenzuela was teaching us about history that happened in our hometown in Oakland, California. I was very excited because no other teacher had taught us anything about our own neighborhood. My excitement quickly turned into anger as I learned about how people were coming together at the time, yet then the government introduced crack in order to stop this. Ever since then, not only did crime go up in Oakland, but it tore families apart and created oppression towards everyone in Oakland and many other cities. I just thought of it as shocking from the government to do such thing.
Just like Douglass explains in his passage, I felt even worse to know this now since I can’t do much to change this type of thing. Douglass was excited to learn, yet could not stand how he felt by being able to know new things. When he describes abolitionists, he describes how “always drew near when the word was spoken..The light broke in upon me by degrees.” (133) I feel as if when people come together in order to change the way things are now, in a way they are abolitionists as well.
Alma Ramirez
Prof. Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50AM
Response to Classmate
In reply to Samantha Gober,
I think that all of the things that you mention about Douglass describe him as eager to learn. I think he never gave up and tried every little thing he could to achieve his new knowledge. Just like you I also don't live with my parents. I can agree how this experience sounds exciting at first but then you learn how hard it can be. Although you do get to learn that one must work hard, but then that hard work will pay off. And I also think you are really strong to move really far away from them, I don't think I could do that. Good luck this semester!
-Alma Ramirez
Jacky Christie
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:30
9/2/13
Learning to Read and Write- Frederick Douglass
2. There are many obvious ties between Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass's experiences in learning to read and write. The most forward one would probably be that they are both black men who were attempting to become somewhat educated in an environment during heightened racial tensions and prejudice. In this way, they faced many of the same challenges; X and Douglass both were surrounded by people who thought they should never learn to read or write, and had trouble finding anyone to teach them. They both wanted to voice their opinions on matters, but could not write them out, which is what drove them to learn.
Their backgrounds differed, however, as well. For example, X was in a prison when he decided to learn how to read. His reasoning was that he wanted to write to his congress people about the struggles of black men in a "white America", and without the ability to write, could not do so(par.6). Douglass, on the other hand, was a prisoner in a different sense, in that he was a slave to a white family. His drive for learning to read and write was simple curiosity and ambition- sparked once his mistress began taking the first steps to teach him. "All this [attempts to prevent him from reading], however, was too late. The first step had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell."(Pg.101, par.2) Also, while Douglass found himself bouncing between many different, short-time, "teachers" (i.e. the mistress, several young boys, the ship-yard, etc.), X simply had himself and a dictionary to learn from.
Another crucial difference between the two men's "journeys into literacy" is the method by which they learned. Malcolm X was in a very confined situation- a prison cell with little freedom- and therefore was forced to use a very straight-forward approach to educating himself. He simply took up a dictionary and used the old fashioned "copy and read" method, in which he copied every single definition and read them to himself until he'd memorized the whole thing. While simplistic and tedious, this method was about equivalent to a three-year-middle-school session of English studies. Douglass, while a family's slave at the time, had a lot more freedom in his journey to learn. It began with his Mistress's "lessons", and grew into boldly approaching white boys his age and getting them to teach him- either with bribery, trickery, or just friendliness. He picked up whatever lessons he could from those sympathetic enough around him as well, and soon gathered enough information to read and write at roughly the same level Malcolm X reached.
Jacky Christie
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:30
9/2/13
3. A big part of my life has always been spent in water. I've spent years training on teams, as a lifeguard, snorkeling, and the like- all the while increasing my knowledge on the infinitely large topic that is the water, and the act of swimming. I've grown more and more adapted to moving in water, and occasionally, I feel more comfortable moving through the ocean than I do on land. Overall, I feel learning to swim was a major characteristic-change in my life.
Huge advantages came with my learning how to swim for the very first time. I'd watched many people and animals swim around me when I was a baby, and it always fascinated me. My mother had swam for years, and was very encouraging. For so long, my infant-short attention span grew impatient with the fact that I was constantly needing to be held when I was in water, but at the same time, I knew that it was crucial, and was terrified without the comfort of someone's arms keeping me from sinking. The idea of being able to move about in water on my own frightened me, but my curiosity and determination overcame my fear. Once I had "officially" learned, after weeks of lessons, I felt invincible. I swam whenever I could; I begged my mother to sign me up for swim teams in whatever time I had available. Whenever there was a pool available near friend's houses, suddenly it was all I wanted to do. The ability to swim made me feel strong, capable, and independent- even when I was very little. For everything else that I needed my mother's constant watchful to take part in, swimming was my, adventure that I could have by myself.
Not everything about learning to swim was necessarily good, however. Nothing is as much of a shock to a very little kid as having an area of their life suddenly be off limits to asking adults for help. There was no more pool toys designed to help kids float, no more free "back-rides" in the water from mom or swim teachers, no more time in the shallow pool, no more lessons with certain teachers or friends that were still learning…many of the "soft" luxuries I'd gotten used to as a baby were cut off from me once I'd advanced enough- and for my own good. Obviously, being a good parent, my mother didn't want me wading in areas I was too old for- as far as swimming, or anything went. With hindsight, it doesn't seem like all that difficult of a transition, but I remember struggling at points as I started rising up. I learned that I liked being able to swim much more than any alternative, but I did leave some things behind.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. "Learning to Read and Write." Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Library, 1996. 100-105. Print.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Grove Press, 1965. Print.
Jacky Christie
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:30
9/2/13
(In response to Taylor Byias's comment)
I agree that Douglass had been driven to learn how to read and write do to his own determination and curiosity; I see you used the same quote as me, nice choice! I also agree that the Mistress sort of "planted the seed" that got him so interested in the first place, and that set him off on a journey to try and learn more. Lastly, I agree with the observations you made about how he learned based on gathering knowledge from various other people around him
To say that Douglass's Mistress goes through an education is an interesting claim. The way that you describe her learning process, in that her education was learning that she cannot teach slaves to read and write, is very truthful. I think you are right about how education can change a person, as it changed Douglass, and how his Mistress's personality was very changed after her "education" on educating slaves.
Milin Khunkhun
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
2 September 2013
Fredrick Douglass Cyber-Assignment
Discussion and Writing Questions
1) Fredrick Douglass was a young slave with a passion and determination to learn how to read and write. He first started learning how to read by his mistress teaching him the letters of the alphabet. Yet, the mistress gradually discouraged teaching him because it was generally viewed “that education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (130). With Douglass’s determination, he successfully learned how to read with help from Caucasian boys and teachers at certain times and places (130).
With this knowledge, Fredrick Douglass secretly began to read the book The Columbian Orator around the house to perfect his reading skills. Not only did this book help develop his reading skills, it also effected his thoughts about slavery. Through the dialogue, Douglass realized that the strength of truth was more momentous than the principals of a slaveholder (131). When he accepted this moral, Douglass became eager to understand what the term abolition meant. After learning the true relationship between abolition and slavery Douglass was overcome by this new perspective on what it meant to be a slave.
One day Douglass went down to the ship-yard, to digest his new realizations. Surprisingly, at the ship-yard Douglass’s interest in furthering his knowledge, specifically in writing was sparked. The marked letters on the lumber shipment intrigued Douglass to figure out what they were and their meaning. Once he informed himself about the names of those letters, he began to copy them down. Douglass further advanced his skill and proficiency of writing by copying what his Master Thomas had written in his copy-book. After a few years, Fredrick Douglass flourished in his knowledge of reading and writing.
4) In Fredrick Douglass’s journey to learn how to read and write, I noticed this great determination and drive to become academically literate. Douglass actually needed a push in order for him to begin learning. That push was his mistress, Mrs. Hugh. She was his inspiration because she had let go off the thought “that education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (130). Yet, when Mrs. Hugh finally fell into this thought, Douglass didn’t stop with her, he continued to challenge himself.
Similarly to Douglass yearning to learn, it was my physics course that gave me my push to go out and challenge myself. I would say this course was the most rigorous one I have taken so far in college. At first, I began to think this class was going to be an easy A, a class that I would be able to slack in. But, when I started to slack off, my first test score was not something I should have been proud of. At that very moment I got a push to challenge myself and earn a better grade.
Every day I had a chance, I used that time to study the textbook from cover to cover (131). I knew right then and there that if I worked hard and set a goal I would be successful in that class. Yet, unknowingly, I began to grow an interest in physics. I started to question the facts and actually develop a desire to learn beyond the criteria of the course. In the end, to satisfy my hunger for knowledge I used all my resources to fully understand the content and say, “I finally succeeded in learning [physics]” (134).
Tiffany Hoang
Professor Sabir
English 1A: (8:00-8:50 am)
09/02/2013
Fredrick Douglass Cyber Assignment
Discussion and Writing Questions
1. During Douglass’ enslavement when he served Master Hugh’s family, that was the time where he was exposed to literacy. His first method in learning how to read and write was through being taught by his mistress, who kindly volunteered to teach him, however when she was informed that they were not racially equal, she abhorred the idea of blacks becoming literate. Douglass thought of his mistress, that “to her satisfaction, that education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (pg. 101).
The second plan in which Douglass adopted was befriending the little white boys on the streets who became very helpful in teaching him how to read. All of them taught him individually, “with their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places” (pg. 101). Douglass gradually learned to read successfully and practiced by carrying his book with him every time he was sent off to errands by his masters. Lastly, Douglass learned how to write by helping carpenters in Durgin and Bailey’s ship-yard when he studied how the men labeled names on timber representing a part of the ship where the timber was intended to be placed. He studied and watched, and he “soon learned the names of these letters, and for what they were intended when placed upon a piece of timber in the ship-yard” (pg. 105).
Throughout Douglass’ reading of different books, he learned new knowledge. The stories he read heavily influenced him, and from that, he formed his own personal thoughts and opinions. Reading “the Colombian Orator”, and one of Sheridan’s speeches moved Douglass to hate slavery and his enslavers. He learned that even people like him, have the potential to be literate, strong, intelligent, and their own person.
2. Not only does Douglass go through a learning process, but so does his mistress, Mrs. Hugh. Mrs. Hugh was a “pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman” (pg. 101). She was the type who “had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach” (pg. 101). She had the kindness in volunteering to teach Douglass how to read and write, as well as made him feel like he was a human being.
However, slavery empowered her to change her warm qualities towards Douglass. Now that she learned her and Douglass were not racially equal, her “tender heart became stone, and the lamb-like disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness” (pg. 101). Mrs. Hugh refrained to instruct him. Douglass felt she became more violent than her racist husband, as if she needed to persecute Douglass better than her husband did. This indicates that perhaps she felt guilty for teaching him in the past, therefore she had to better her hostility towards Douglass.
Even with a newspaper in his hands, Mrs. Hugh snatched it away from him. From then on, Douglass had to carry a book in secret wherever he went during errands. He could see clearly that she thought slavery and education could not be compatible together.
Kimberly's response caught my attention because I can relate to it. Cancer is a very emotional subject with me. My dad was diagnosed with cancer when I was a young girl. I've always been very close with him and consider myself a daddy's girl so you can imagine how distraught I was. At that time I had to live with my grandparents while he was in the hospital. I remember when we thought we were going to lose him and it shattered my heart. I couldn't imagine not having my father in my life. The good news is, I never had to experience this. He's been healthy and cancer free for years now and I thank God every day for that!
Michael Cunningham
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
August 29, 2013
Frederick Douglass Questions
1)List the different ways Douglass taught himself to read and write. List also other things he learns?
In the text Frederick Douglass first learns to read by the help of his mistress. The owner of Frederick Douglass was not pleased with this idea. Not only did Frederick Douglass’ owner not want him taught by his mistress he didn’t want him taught by anyone else either, but she taught him anyway. It was real nice of her to do that, but it was also against the law to help a Negro learn how to do anything that will make him equal to whites. So by her doing this she took a real big risk of going to jail or even worse. After Frederick Douglass was comfortable reading he then started reading anything he could get his hands on.
After he had some of his lessons from his mistress he would go into town doing errands for his owners. What they didn’t know was that while he was in town the little white boys were helping him learn, and he converted them into teachers even if they didn’t know it. Since some of the white boys were poor he would bring them bread from his home because he was allowed to get as much as he pleased. The boys played a big role in his success to become a good reader and understanding what words were and what they meant.
Douglass learned how to write in my opinion from the lumber yard. He would look at the lumber in the yard and he could tell where they went by how they were marked. If it was marked “L”, it was for larboard side, if marked “S”, it went to starboard side, if marked “L.F”, the lumber was for larboard side forward. If it was marked “L.A”, it was meant for larboard aft. If it was named “S.A”, it would go to starboard aft. While Douglass’ mistress would go to her class meetings he would write in Master Thomas’ copy books to learn to write. By him doing this he became a good writer.
2)The main focus of this passage is the process by which Douglass began to become literate. Who else in the passage undergoes a “learning” process, and what are the results?
Young Proficient Thomas had wrote many copy books, which he learned from returning to his school and achieving his writing skills. When Douglass’ mistress taught him how to read this was the beginning of his literacy to me because he then began to understand the words. Her doing this fueled a fire inside of Frederick to read more and try to learn more. He wanted to read whatever he could get his hands on. He was not the only one to undergo a learning change though.
I think we can mention the change that the mistress went through as a “learning” process because she went from being nice to being mean. Back then, this would be considered a learning change because it was natural for the whites to be mean to the blacks. As mentioned on (Pg.130), “slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavingly qualities. Under its’ influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamb-like disposition gave way to one of the tiger like fierceness.” This plays a big role in Fredericks life because he then lost a teacher.
Back to Fredericks’ learning process, after he had actually owned his skills he would then read all kinds of books including slavery books. Which he them quoted, (Pg.132), “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.” When Master Thomas returned back to school, and started writing copy books Douglass would get them and write in the blank pages in the end to practice his letters. At the end of the day he reached his literacy, as stated, “thus after a long tedious , effort for years, I finally succeeded in learning how to write.(Pg.134).
In reply to (Samantha Gober) I agree when she says that Frederick Douglass can relate to us because when we are at a rush to grow up we just want to live on our own no rules no nothing. But when we finally get what we want we regret the decisions that we made to grow up and wish that we can go back in time. Then we have to live with the reality that we are grown and learn how to be our own selves and that is hard for some of us. With Frederick Douglass it was a little bit different he wished he had never learned how to read because he felt like it was a curse. He wished that he had never learn to read and now he is glad that he did.
Ariana Yu
Professor Sabir
English 1A, 8:00-8:50
3 September 2013
Response
I agree with Taylor Byias that Frederick Douglass’s mistress went through a huge transformation after becoming educated. When I first read the essay, I found it shocking how Douglass’s mistress could transform from, as Douglass described her, a “kind and tender-hearted woman” to a woman who’s “tender heart became stone” (130). I agree that once she became aware of the fact that slavery and literacy weren’t meant to be with each other, she stopped teaching Douglass. Instead of seeing Douglass as human, she not only sees him as inanimate, but also dangerous. She is afraid that he will break the norms of slavery.
Kimberly Young
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50
3 September 2013
Response
I agree with Taylor and Alma that Douglass' s eagerness and determination has aided him in learning how to read and write.
Angela Bedoya
Ms. Sabir
English 1A
2 September 2013
1. In Frederick Douglass essay learning to Read and Write. Douglass taught himself, first learning the alphabet from his mistress, after that she stopped teaching him due to her husband changed her way of thinking to get to the point where she strongly believe “that education and slavery were incompatible with each other” ( pg. 130). After that Douglass made little white boys his friends that he turned into his teachers and “with their kindly aid, obtained at different times and different places, I finally succeeded to learning to read.” (pg.130). Then, he taught himself to write by getting a job at Durgin and Bailey’s ship yard, where he had to put a letter in every piece of wood design to build the ship, since that moment he keep practicing the letters and challenging other boys to see who could write better and writing in every place that he could like a board fence, brick wall.
Douglass also learned to give voice and sense to his soul by reading Sheridan’s mighty speeches. He learned that learning to read and write will give him freedom.
2.Another person who set her goals in learning was Mrs. Hugh, Douglass mistress a kind woman with a good heart who care about people and was not set into making slaves feel less than her. Unfortunately Mrs. Hugh’s husband order her to stop instructing Douglass and allowing him to get him any kind of education, although “she did not adopt this course of treatment immediately” (pg. 129) and took her a while to become better than her teacher but she did it “She was not satisfied with simply doing as well as he had commanded; she seemed anxious to do better” (pg. 130). Mrs. Hugh turned into this horrible person who was full of hate who was determined in avoiding Douglass grows as an intellectual person.
Briana Del Cid
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
2 September 2013
Douglas Analysis
1.)
Since Fredrick Douglass was a slave no one would teach him how to read or write. His slave owner had taught him the alphabet but refused to encourage further lessons. The little knowledge that he had left him wanting more, he would have to teach himself. Without the little hope that his slave owner had given him he wouldn’t have perused the path of education. Douglass would bargain bread with white boys to give him reading lessons. When he wasn’t learning he was practicing with whatever reading material he could find.
Just knowing how to read wasn’t enough to quench Douglass’s thirst for knowledge. The slave boy wanted to write and it wasn’t easy. He quickly learned to write a few words so that he could trick the white boys into teaching him more words by making it a competition. He would than master the new words that the white boys showed him. His owner’s son at the time had been learning to write as well so Douglass grabbed the boy’s left over work and used it to better his writing. He also copied books like the Webster Spelling Book.
The most important thing he learns is the mistreatment of slaves and black folk. He learns that to be a slave for life is an awful thing. The knowledge that Douglass has acquired became a burden but soon found out that it could be used to his advantage. He learned that learning is an empowerment which is why his owner tried so hard to keep him ignorant. He learned that the greatest weapon he could have is to know how to read and write.
2.)
The son of Douglass’s slave owner, Thomas, was also learning how to read and write. Thomas undergoes the normal education system that only privileged white boys received during Douglass’s time. The boy came from a well off family and he didn’t have to worry about things like poverty and hunger. Thomas would grow up to be an average, middle class white man with a high education which would put him ahead of regular adult slaves. He was learning to become an American citizen in the eyes of the education system while little black boys had to remain illiterate.
The result of Thomas’s education was that while slaves continued to stay ignorant Thomas would become a smart man. He had something that the slaves couldn’t have. He would grow up and make his parents proud. He would never be owned and would never be in debt for life. His education made him different from the slave children. HE would never have to worry about anything that burden the lives of slaves.
Fortunately for Douglass, Thomas unknowingly was giving a free ride on the path of education to Douglass. The result of Thomas learning is that Douglass learned as well. Douglass was able to used Thomas’s used learning materials to his advantage right under his owner’s nose. Without Thomas Douglass would have never have gone so far. Douglass’s fate was to be a slave for life but thanks to Thomas Douglass found his freedom. Douglass was granted freedom from reading and writing.
Hun Kim
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10:00-10:50
2 September 2013
2 Discussion Question Responses
1. List the different ways Douglass taught himself to read and write. List also some other things he learns.
One way Frederick Douglass learned to read was through his mistress, who “mistakenly” taught Douglass the alphabet. Frederick Douglass describes this knowledge as the beginning that had been achieved. The owner, by teaching Frederick Douglass the basic letters, had given Douglass the first step needed to become literate. Another way Douglass learned to become literate was by bribing white boys with bread: “This bread, I used to bestow upon the hungry urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge (Douglass, pg 130).”
One thing Frederick Douglass learned was the situation of slavery. Douglass learned about how white men came to Africa to enslave men and women into bondage, and how they used these slaves as workers. However, this new knowledge was a double-edged sword to Douglass. Frederick Douglass finally knew the situation he was in, but also knew that there was no escape.
Later on in the passage, Frederick Douglass passes a lumber shipyard, a place where Douglass would learn how to write. The workers, labeling the ships with L, S, or L.F, or S.F (these were acronyms for starboard/larboard), inspired Douglass to mimic these letters on fences, roads, and walls, a practice that later gave Douglass the ability to write.
2. Connections Douglass teaches himself to read and write in a society that condemns literacy for people like him; the education and the society Malcolm X describes in “Learning to Rea” are very different. How are they similar?
One main difference between the situations of that of Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass was the hostility to white people. Unlike Malcolm X who despised whites, Frederick Douglass used them in order to read (by bribing them with bread) and by asking about the practice of abolishment. Malcolm X’s resentment to whites can be seen in his writing Learning to Read, in which he states: “Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, and yellow peoples every variety of the sufferings of exploitation. I saw how since the sixteenth century, the so-called “Christian trader” white man began to ply the seas in his lust for Asian and African empires, and plunder, and power. I read, I saw, how the white man never has gone among the non-white peoples bearing the Cross in the true manner and spirit of Christ’s teachings—meek, humble, and Christlike…(X, pg. 261).”
Another difference between the two situations was the discouragement/encouragement of learning to become literate. Frederick Douglass was discouraged from becoming literate, and quotes: “She was an apt woman: and a little experience soon demonstrated, to her satisfaction, that education and slavery were incompatible with each other (Douglass pg. 130).” Malcolm X on the other hand, was not discouraged to learn, but rather encouraged, as he pursued education in order to increase his ability to communicate more sophisticatedly.
One similarity that Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass had in common was that they wre both shunned by fellow people because they were too smart. For example, Douglass quotes: “I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity (Douglass pg. 132).” Here, Douglass is being segregated from the uneducated slaves who did not know of the double-edged sword of the knowledge of slavery. Malcolm X describes his own shunning as: In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there. I had commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn’t articulate, I wasn’t even functional (X, pg. 257).” Here, Malcolm X is rejected by both the street gangs, who are not literate, but also by sophisticated politicians, who do not even read Malcolm’s letters since they were very colloquial and unsophisticated.
Lawrence Cheung
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9:00-9:50
3 Sept 2013
I agree with Jacky Christie on the idea that Malcolm X and Douglas are similar because of their copying dictionaries and spelling books because they were in a confined situation. I really agree with the fact that they both had confined situation, and learned from whatever methods they could, such as copying.
Mervin Deguzman I totally agree with you, as you my answer in the first questions where the same, Douglass was a boy with a goal set in his mind which was learn to read and write and he did it, not matter how hard it was, he to reached that goal, Using the most uncommon resources but he did it.
In our second answer, we agree too. Mrs. Hugh turned into this repulsive woman who was made things harder for Douglass when he wanted to educated himself. She definitely became better than her husband so much so that she could not see Douglass with a newspaper.
Lawrence Cheung
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9:00-9:50
3 Sept 2013
1)
Fredrick Douglas attempted to learn to read and write through many ways. The ways included learning from his mistress, from boys whom he gave bread to, and learned to write on timber at a ship-yard. Later, he also copied italics in Webster's Spelling Book.
When he learned from his mistress, the mistress never truly finished her job to help him. She was discouraged so, and stopped. Douglas referred to his mistress as a nice and good-hearted woman, and during the time they had together, they treated each other almost equally (100. Then Douglas had to find his own ways, so he would offer bread to boys. He always carried bread with him, so he could give them to hungry boys. But at the same time, Douglas learned that these boys gave him lively sympathy as a slave. "You will be free as soon as you are twenty-one, but I am a slave for life!" (102). Douglas said this to the boys, and the boys responded with sympathy for him.
Also, he learned to write from copying the markings in the shipyard. He copied markings such as "S.", "L.F", "S.A", etc. Eventually, he copied from the Webster's Spelling Book, and learned to write.
3)
Malcolm X and Fredrick Douglas had very similar experiences and burdens when attempting to read and write and approach the road to literacy. However, the time, setting, environment, is completely different, yet so similar. Malcolm X was not a slave, but was still considered less than a human being. Douglas was considered property being a slave. Learning to read and write was not only looked down upon, but has dire consequences.
Douglas said that when he was on the path to becoming literate, it was horrible, because it showed how bad of a condition he was in, but he did not have the solution (103). This connects to Malcolm X because when he sent letters to drug dealers, thieves, and even politicians and officials, he had no responses back. This showed him how bad his situation was, and that is similar in that sense.
"I then commenced and continued to copying the Italics in Webster's Spelling Book, until I could make them all without looking on the book." (105). Douglas was copying out of a spelling book to learn to write. Similarly, Malcolm X was copying a dictionary as well. The similarity is not within just the copying, but the importance is that they both were copying from books of knowledge under the authority pressing down upon them, discouraging them. Malcolm X was in prison, and Douglas a slave.
Overall, Malcolm X and Douglas lived in very different settings and times. However, their situations were very similar. They were both African-Americans forced under the pressure that they cannot learn to read and write, and even if they do, it is looked down upon. This creates the similar parallel that connects the two.
Fin Saephan
Wanda Sabir
English1A 8am MTTh
2 September 2013
Answering questions 1 and 2 of Frederick Douglas
1) The different ways Frederick Douglas taught himself to read was secretly reading his master’s book, tricking the little poor white kids to help him read what he can’t, and learning the alphabet from the work that he do at the shipyard. Some of the things he learned were news of the slaves who ran away. Later on, he came across the word “abolitionist” and he had no clue what is meant. As his curiosity grew, he eventually figured out the meaning of the word and though about running away and be free himself.
2) The whole passage was to show the journey in which Douglass freed himself of his illiteracy and taught himself how to read with a little help and huge determination. In befriending other little white kids, Douglass had shown that he was human beings too and the kids seemed to believe slavery was wrong. Thus, those who are within the circle of Douglass had warm up to him and learned to see him as a person and not an object to be owned.
Briana Del Cid
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
2 September 2013
Response to Lawrence Cheung
You have an excellent point about the comparisons and contrast of Douglass and Malcolm X. Two different people during two different times could have so much in common around the struggles of literacy. Your analysis is very in-depth and enlightening. You found similarities that I would have never seen on my own.
Akeem Diaz
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
9/2/13
Question 1 & 2(fusion answer)
Frederick Douglas does an excellent job in telling the story of his early learning curb. He breaks down the fundamentals of reading and writing and thoroughly explains the means and experiences he encountered in order to obtain those specific skills. He starts off with explaining how he comes to learn the alphabet which is step one in learning to read and write. The person who teaches him the alphabet is a woman who he describes as a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. He spoke highly of her as you will tell from this following quote, “She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came with in her reach.” This woman he describes is his mistress/slave owner whom is the other person in this excerpt that goes through a learning process.
This woman that had shown Frederick a kindness that reminded him of his status as a human being had vanished as she could not handle the curse that came with being a slave-owner. She had abandoned her own “heavenly” morals and embraced her husband’s precepts. Frederick states “Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamb-like disposition gave way to one tiger-like fierceness.” A woman living in a time where women were not viewed as capable as man were finally gets a taste of what it feels like to be in complete command of another’s life. She then becomes blood thirsty as a bear who for its first time tastes human flesh. Hungry for more and not hesitant to strike. She had caved in to her own savageness leaving Fredrick Douglas to find his own way on the journey to learning.
He decided that even though the same person, who had taught him the basics of literature, had now deviated into someone who now disheartens the idea of a slave gaining an education that it would not derail his ambition to learn. Plain and simply put, he moved on, or as my friends would say “he kept it pushing”. Whenever young Douglas was sent on errands he would bring two things that would prove critical in his persuasion of neighborhood children converting into his “teachers”. He brought a book and he brought bread, enough bread for himself, and enough bread to use to capture the attention of the poorer white kids. He would gain valuable lessons from these children.
At the ripe age of 12 Fredrick came across a book called “The Columbian Orator”. This is during the time where the idea of him being a slave for life had begun to kick in as a depressing reality hanging heavy over his head like a man who hangs his head after he has lost everything. There was a specific dialogue in the book he read that gained his interest. A dialogue in which a slave is caught running away multiple times and on the third time he is brought back but this time he delivers a keen debate on his disposition towards slavery. Moved by his words the master decides to grant him emancipation. The material he read, started to open doors in his mind and expose him to certain perspectives on slavery and human rights that he had not been aware of at the time. It also filled him with hope. That is what we call learning. He learned how to have hope.
Frederick Douglas was able to accomplish half of the battle of a Negro trying to learn in his time but as he continued to accomplish each step towards a higher education he found out that, yes, he was capable of forming his ideas into legitimate arguments towards slavery but it hindered his ability to grow spiritually because he had now began to wish that he did not exist anymore. He had come to a consensus based off of his own experiences and perception of realty he same way his mistress came to the consensus of pro-slavery after being exposed to certain experiences. His coming onto the stage of enlighten was not in vain. In fact it would push him to continue his studies.
Akeem Diaz continued-
The next and final step in completing the basic steps of literature was learning how to write. This is where it gets interesting because of the pure genius behind his efforts in learning how to write. He says “The idea as to how I might learn to write was suggested to me by being in Durgin & Bailey’s shipyard, and frequently seeing carpenters, after hewing, and getting a piece of timber ready for use, write on the timber the name that part of the ship for which it was intended.” He identified what part of the ship every letter represented. He mastered the 4 letters A, F, L, and S. He would not stop there.
He was clever in his approach of swindling lessons out of people. He knew those of his age group would not believe him if he said he could, so he decided to challenge them. He would jot down the few letters he knew and challenged kids to top his calligraphy. That was only a warm up to what was to come and he didn’t learn how to write overnight. When his “little master”, Thomas, was finally enrolled in school he would copy the “copy-books” Thomas brought home when his mistress was away. Over the years he finally learned how to write.
Rebeca Gonzalez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50
2 September 2013
Frederick Douglass Cyber-Assignment
1.) In Frederick's "Learning to Read and Write" essay he learns literacy in many ways. Frederick Douglass first learned from his slave master but after she gave up on instructing him he began to make friends with the white boys in the streets, he also began reading books, writing on timber, and copying italics in Webster's spelling book as well as copying what master Thomas would write in his copy-book.
Frederick Douglass didn't only learn from his master but he found many other ways to to gain knowledge. Frederick didn't want to be like the rest of the slaves that didn't know much, he actually wanted to be smart and not "stupid" as he referred to them. Frederick took advantage of every moment he could to gain knowledge even though he knew he was putting his own life at risk. Frederick didn't only learn to read and write, he also learned about slavery from reading the book "The Columbian Orator". Throughout the book he says "The moral which I gained from the dialogue was power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder." He also says that "the reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery" (102).
4.) In Learning to Read and Write, Douglass achieves the knowledge he wants to gain but with that knowledge he also achieved pain. When reading "The Columbian Orator" Douglass learns about the type of dialogue a slave had with his master. He gets to read their dialogue and learns about the way the slave would communicate with his slave owner as well as how he ran away. Frederick reads the conversation that they would have and the actions that the slave would take.
Frederick states, "It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out." I can relate to Frederick in the way that I used to always think that growing up was going to be easy when in reality it's not. Just how Frederick stated, "It opened my eyes to the horrible pit" I feel that becoming an adult has done the same to me. It has opened my eyes to see the reality and becoming an adult isn't so much about just having freedom, it's about being responsible and being on the right path to succeed in life in order to become someone or something. Facing the real world or the grown up world on your own is scary because no one is really there to guide you anymore and the fact that others expect a lot from you makes it more scary(103).
Huy Vo
Professor Wanda
English 1A, 11-11:50 pm
September 2, 2013
Response
Learning To Read And Write
Frederick Douglass was born in a time when oppression existed, but somehow, he beat the odds. Douglass was born into slavery and as a young boy he loved to learn. However, his mistress would punish him if he were even to try to learn, believing that “education and slavery were incompatible.” (130). Even then he would not comply and would find creative and ingenious ways to learn. Young Douglass would make friends with “little white boys” and used them as his teacher, teaching him how to read. When he was forced to run errands, he would sneak a book with him and read it. Or when everyone was gone from the house, Douglas would copy what was in Master Thomas’s copy-book and copied the Italics in Webster’s Spelling Book. At “Durgin and Bailey’s ship-yard”, he would often see ship carpenters writing on the timber with “L”, “S”, “L.F.”,”S.A.”, “S.F.” and “L.A.” Douglas would copy them and meet boys exchanging what they knew, and in turn, learn from each other.
When describing his instruments of learning, “ my copy-book was the board fence, brick wall, and pavement; my pen and ink was a limp of chalk.”(134), even then it was evident that he held the quality of determination and resilient. At a young age he contemplated what slavery meant, “the thought of being a slave for life began to beat heavily upon my heart.” Reading books such as The Colombian Orator and Sheridan’s might speeches, he “gained from the dialogue . . . the power of truth”.(131), holding a stance for human right. The more he read the more he felt resentment towards his master. Often he wished he were the other other slaves, unable to understand the emotional pain that he felt at that time.
I hold a similar experience with Douglass and I believe everyone goes through a stage of realization. When I was growing up I believed that things were good and safe. I never understood what uncertainty is or why life was “unpredictable”. I never seen death before, unlike most of my friends who grandpa or grandma died. I believed that the world was truthful and I believed what was told to me. When I began to actually obverse the things around me and actually read many books, I was like Douglas. I began to realize all the dark things in life such as lying, selfishness, and death and there is nothing I could do to change it. I began to realize I am a slave - like how Douglas felt. Through my cognitive development, I began to realize what my older friends went through.
Ryan Djafaripour
Professor Sabir
English 1A
2 September 2013
1.List the different ways Douglass taught himself to read and write. List also other things he learns?
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in 1818. During this time literacy was illegal for slaves, luckily he had a mistress that taught him the alphabet. With this powerful knowledge that nobody knew he had attained, Frederick Douglass could now take it to the next step. Since going to the library to study english would get him in trouble, Douglass made friends with all of the white students who already knew how to read and write. "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." (pg. 130) This was a perfect way for Douglass to teach himself how to read and write. He also learned the names of letters from a ship-yard. He taught himself by writing the letters he observed on the timber. When a piece of timber was intended for the larboard side, it would be marked thus- "L." (pg.133) Douglass did this with each and every different combination of timbers. After he had a solid learning of this he conversed with the white boys and practiced with them. Not only did Douglass teach himself how to read and write, but he learned that the world he lived in was corrupt with slavery. As Douglass once said to some of those friends, "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?" With this key to justice, literacy helped Douglass voice the voice of freedom.
2. The main focus of this passage is the process by which Douglass began to become literate. Who else in the passage undergoes a “learning” process, and what are the results?
Frederick Douglass had endured a long tedious process to attain literacy. But without the help of Mrs. Hugh, Douglass mistress he would have never been able to read and write. Douglass said "She treated me as she supposed one human being ought to treat another." It was a difficult time for a white to be teaching a black how to read and write since it was illegal. But she did it and she did it for the right reason, liberty and justice for all, that is what our great nation stands on. The strong foundation that our founding fathers had based it all upon. "Freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever." (pg.132) Mrs. Hugh had learned that this slavery was wrong and every human should be treated equally.
Mrs. Hugh allowed Douglass to spend time in the house alone to study up on his reading and writing. She learned with him the way that slavery had shrouded America with a fabricated lie that one man is greater than another just because of the color of their skin. After a long, tedious effort for years, Douglass succeeded in learning how to write (pg.134)
Great responses to the prompts for Douglass's Learning to Read. I enjoyed students comments to each other as well.
Anita Madden
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11:00-11:50
29, August 2013
Response to Fredrick Douglas questions
1.) There are many ways that Fredrick Douglas taught himself to read. For example when he lived with his slave master his mistress will sometimes instruct him. She was a kind lady at first but her character would totally changed and she would treat Mr. Douglas like the slave he was. He became friends with some little white boys who would in exchange of bread would teach him how to read. Any chance he was able to get ahold of any type of reading materials he would take advantage of it. After reading the “Columbian Orator” he realized there were many words he didn’t know the meaning of like the word abolish. He knew it was a word he wasn’t suppose to know, so one day he came across some city papers and petitions and that’s where he would learn what it meant. Mr. Douglas spent time at the Durgin & Baileys shipyard. He would see letters marked on the timber and would put them together. After making sense of the letters that’s when he figured out what they meant. He would use the pavement, board fence, or a brick wall to write on. He would copy the italics in the dictionary until he had them down with out looking.
4.) There are many similarities that Fredric Douglas and Malcolm X share when it comes to learning how to read and write. Although they were born in different time eras where majority of black people were illiterate and uneducated they were determined to rise above that. Mr. Douglas and Mr. X both taught themselves how to read and write with very help from others. Every opportunity they had a chance to read and write they would do so. Another similarity they share is that they both copied words from the dictionary until they understood what the meaning was and knew how to write it.
Christian Logan
Professor Sabir
English 1a 11-11:50am
2 September, 2013
Response to Frederick Douglass Essay
1. Douglass was born a slave in the early 1800s. During this time slaves were prohibited from becoming literate. Frederick Douglass learns to read and write through various methods. He had such an eagerness to learn that he accepted lessons from anyone he could get them from. He got his first few lessons from his mistress who taught him the alphabet. However, she stopped giving him lessons at the request of her husband. Without a teacher to give him formal instruction Douglass took it upon himself to see that acquired an education one way or another. He also practiced by copying the letters that were written on pieces of timber at a ship-yard. A piece of chalk, a fence and the concrete served as his main instruments for writing. In exchange for bread, Frederick also gained lessons from little white boys that were literate. When he was sent to run errands he would visit them to sneak in some lessons. He would ask them how to spell words or the definitions of words he did not know. He learned new words with the help of a dictionary. He practiced reading with every book and newspaper he could get s hold of. He enjoyed reading a variety of novels and while doing so expanded his education immensely.
2. In the passage, Douglass’ mistress had also gone through a “learning” process although it was much different from Douglass’. She was at first committed to doing the good deeds of helping Douglass learn how to read and write. She was kind enough to teach him the alphabet. Douglass first described her as “a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear” (101). However, this soon changed when her husband demanded that she cease these lessons because Douglass was just a slave who needed to remain a slave and giving him an education was equal to emancipating him. Not only did she stop teaching him, but she also did whatever she could to prevent him from learning anything. She would become infuriated when she saw Douglass with a newspaper. She would be constantly checking up on him to make sure he was not doing any reading. The mistress underwent a complete transition from a nice pure-hearted human to an undeniably mean and cruel slave holder.
Denise Burgara
Professor Sabir
English 1A 11-11:50
31st August 2013
Response to Questions
Learning to read and write, Frederick Douglass
1. Frederick Douglass wrote the different ways he taught himself to read and write, he began learning a few things with his mistress, for example the alphabet, but not long before she stopped because she had realized that what she was doing was wrong against the law and became so brutally mean towards Douglass. So then he decided to look for new ways to learn more, since that door had opened up to him, he saw a whole other world. He was eager for more, and every letter and word gave him a new thought.
He then met these "little white boys" (130) whom taught him a lot of reading. Douglass then got a hold of a book "...I got hold of a book, entitled The Colombian Orator."(131) He would read this book every chance he had, but secretly because slaves were not allowed to learn. Douglass had also learned to read and write by helping out in Durgin and Bailey's ship yard where he had to write letters on wood and place them in the right place.Douglass also copied the entire "Webster's Spelling book" and finally getting to memorize this whole book.
3. Douglass teaches himself too read and write in a society that condemns literacy for people like him, on the other hand Malcolm X was in a society that he was free to learn but do to his incarceration he was very limited with resources and stuck in the "dark and lonely" place. These two societies, I find differences and similarities.Both are living in this tiny world with no meaning, due to Douglass's enslavement, he was not allowed to be taught and was prohibited but Malcolm X had the opportunity to learn and no one could stop him from doing it.
These societies both share the same similarities, Douglass was enslaved and Malcolm was incarcerated, they were both limited on their resources and were stuck in a hole. But they both ended up teaching themselves against the odds, they both persevered and were eager to learn, and they did. As Douglass mentioned in his writing, that when his mistress had stop teaching him, he felt so eager to learn more and more and was determined to do it on his own and Malcolm X writes, "...I woke up the next day thinking about those words..." Malcolm writes when realizing he had written the first page of the dictionary, amazed, he went on eventually writing the whole dictionary.
Roberto Urias
Professor Sabir
English 1A (11-11:50)
3 September 2013
Response to questions and posts
1) The ways that Douglas taught himself how to read was by his mistress. She was the first to teach him the alphabet. Shortly after she had taught him some knowledge she turned sides on him. She was not “a kind and tender-hearted woman” (129) as Douglas once described her. She now had become more violent than her ceased husband.
Another way he learned to read was by making friends with little poor white boys. One way he bribed them “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” (130). He would soon learn more knowledge when his little friends began to go to school. He would read off of their books.
Lastly he learned to write when he entered the Durgin and Bailey’s ship-yard. He would copy the words they would write on the timber that they sent away. And from that point on he challenged others that he knew how to write so he would gain knowledge of others also. And then he began copying in Italics in Webster’s Spelling Book.
3) Douglas taught himself how to read and write in a time where it was illegal for him to know that. He sacrificed his life to teach himself. In the Malcolm X reading he taught himself how to read and write but they were both in different times.
The similarities that they both have are that Douglas was enslaved and Malcolm was incarcerated and also they both learned some reading by copying the dictionary. Both with so little knowledge of education learned how to educate themselves and become very good readers and writers. They both also educated others from Douglas teaching slaves and by Malcolm teaching blacks rights.
Response to Hun Kim
I really liked how you compared the differences and similarities of Douglas and Malcolm. You used some good points of how Malcolm said “Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, and yellow peoples every variety of the sufferings of exploitation. I saw how since the sixteenth century, the so-called “Christian trader” white man began to ply the seas in his lust for Asian and African empires, and plunder, and power. I read, I saw, how the white man never has gone among the non-white peoples bearing the Cross in the true manner and spirit of Christ’s teachings—meek, humble, and Christlike…(X, pg. 261).” That was a good citation to use answering the prompt question
To Jacky Christie,
I really liked your response to to the second question. I felt like Malcolm X did not take advantage of the abilities and gifts he was given until he was in jail. Frederick Douglass who was also chained, took advantage of his curiosity and used it to learn. They both took something away from the situation they were in; that it it not good to be chained and that the path to freedom begins in learning[to read and write].
Hoi Chak
Professor Sabir
English 1A (8-8:50)
2 September 2013
Douglass Response
1. In the essay, "Learning to Read and Write" by Frederick Douglass, he describes being taught the alphabet by a "kind, tender-hearted woman" he calls his mistress (129). Although his mistress' heart became "stone", Douglass was still interested in learning how to read and write. He began looking for other ways to learn, like making friends with "little white boys whom I met in the street" (130). Douglass later explains that he turns them into his own teachers. Throughout his childhood, he made many acquaintances who successfully teaches him how to read and write. Wandering around, Douglass would get a hold of books where he would continuously read. During his time at Durgin and Bailey's ship yard, the carpenters would give him a piece of would and tell him to write letters of the alphabet on it. The letters would correspond to each section of the ship thus he learns how to write by copying and recopying the Webster's Spelling Book. And when his Master goes to school, he would copy what he had written therefore successfully learning how to read and write.
2. The main focus of the passage is the importance of education. However, Douglass is the not the only one who learns something in this passage. Douglass' mistress was a "kind, tender-hearted woman" who's heart turns into "stone" due to the racial difference between them. He believes that slavery was the cause of her change. Mrs. Hugh realized that education was not for the enslaved and soon ceased to teach Douglass. Not only did she refrained from teaching him, she also became more violent. Douglass relates this behavior to a "tiger-like fierceness" (130). From that day on, he understands that slavery and education were incompatible.
Response to Angela Bedoya
I agree that her husband may have influenced her to stop teaching Douglass. However, I find that her anxious to do better as the cause of why she turned into a horrible person debatable. Her anxious to do better may not be the reason she turned into a horrible person.
Hoi Chak
Professor Sabir
English 1A (8-8:50)
2 September 2013
Douglass Response
1. In the essay, "Learning to Read and Write" by Frederick Douglass, he describes being taught the alphabet by a "kind, tender-hearted woman" he calls his mistress (129). Although his mistress' heart became "stone", Douglass was still interested in learning how to read and write. He began looking for other ways to learn, like making friends with "little white boys whom I met in the street" (130). Douglass later explains that he turns them into his own teachers. Throughout his childhood, he made many acquaintances who successfully teaches him how to read and write. Wandering around, Douglass would get a hold of books where he would continuously read. During his time at Durgin and Bailey's ship yard, the carpenters would give him a piece of would and tell him to write letters of the alphabet on it. The letters would correspond to each section of the ship thus he learns how to write by copying and recopying the Webster's Spelling Book. And when his Master goes to school, he would copy what he had written therefore successfully learning how to read and write.
2. The main focus of the passage is the importance of education. However, Douglass is the not the only one who learns something in this passage. Douglass' mistress was a "kind, tender-hearted woman" who's heart turns into "stone" due to the racial difference between them. He believes that slavery was the cause of her change. Mrs. Hugh realized that education was not for the enslaved and soon ceased to teach Douglass. Not only did she refrained from teaching him, she also became more violent. Douglass relates this behavior to a "tiger-like fierceness" (130). From that day on, he understands that slavery and education were incompatible.
Response to Angela Bedoya
I agree that her husband may have influenced her to stop teaching Douglass. However, I find that her anxious to do better as the cause of why she turned into a horrible person debatable. Her anxious to do better may not be the reason she turned into a horrible person.
Deana Watson
Professor Sabir
English 1A 10-10:50 am
Fredrick Douglass questions
1) The society that Douglass lived in as a slave African Americans not taught or given the encouragement to learn. He learned the alphabet from his mistress who taught him as much as she can behind her husbands back. After a while she realized that helping him and having him as a slave wouldn't work out. He started to sneak around to read books and learn how to write. He later learned about his purpose of a slave and became regretful of learning how to read.
2) After a great deal of procrastination his mistress told him she could not teach him anymore. His community felt it was wrong for slaves to learn how to read and write. His mistress who was his slaves owner'a wife believed she let her community down putting her self in a bad situation.
Saleena Carpenter
Professor Sabir
English 1A (10-10:50)
3 September 2013
Response to Frederick Douglass questions
1. In Frederick Douglass's learning to read and write he shared his journey for education in a society where African Americans were not taught or encouraged to learn. Douglass first learned the alphabet from his mistress who was kind enough and willing to reach him. Her kindness soon diminished when she started to realize "education and slavery were incompatible with each other"(130).
Frederick's mistress tried to keep him from learning but he knew it was far too late he wanted to learn more. Douglass had to sneak and learn to read. He did this by befriending the little white boss and having them reach him to read while out on errands. He also used his little Master Thomas's copy books to practice what he had written, in the end helping him finally learn to write after many years (134).
Frederick Douglass also learned about slavery which him referee learning to read. It opened his eyes to freedom and made him realize he would be a"slave for life"(131). He then learn about abolitionist and decided that by continuing learning to write could him escape to freedom.
2. Frederick Douglass's mistress underwent a learning process in a way. His mistress was told that she could not educate a slave so encouraged get to reach Frederick. The society felt it was unacceptable and wrong to teach slaves and she started to give in to those beliefs.
In the beginning she was kind and tender but as people began to look down on her she became influenced by her environment. "Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities"(130). She changed and no longer treated Douglass with kindness but as property. She became nasty and violent.
The results of his mistress's education was that she started to believe that what she was doing was wrong. She let her environment of racial inequality reach get that teaching Frederick put her in a bad situation. Because of slavery it was deadly and immoral for get to respect him as an individual (129).
Response to Christian Logan
I liked your response to the second question a lot. I feel like we both had the same feeling about the mistress learning and you elaborating how she tried to prevent him from learning made me think more about how slavery influenced her and how racism still influences people in this way.
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