Frederick Douglass "Learning to Read and Write"
Samuen, Mia, Julia, Kayla
Mrs. Greene
English 1102
22 January 2018
Learning to Read and Write Rhetorical Response
In Frederick Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write”, Douglass executes the concepts of
determination and perseverance. He depicts this through overcoming the struggles he experienced
as a slave during this time. His objective was to show the audience it is important to have to have faith
in order to succeed. The intended audience were other slaves who could relate to his situation and
seeked hope in their times of need.
determination and perseverance. He depicts this through overcoming the struggles he experienced
as a slave during this time. His objective was to show the audience it is important to have to have faith
in order to succeed. The intended audience were other slaves who could relate to his situation and
seeked hope in their times of need.
Douglass learned how to read and right in a very difficult way, and I found his experience intriguing.
His mistress was the person who initially taught him how to read, but in the end there was nothing
but pure hatred from her. Douglass had to learn how to read from other sources because of the
mistress’s neglect. In our current times, we think of a mistress as a person a husband would
have sexual relations with that his wife is usually unaware of. When the wife finds out about
the mistress, marriage is put on hold. I find it kind of comical that the mistress was a good
thing in the beginning, but in the end, she did nothing but create issues.
His mistress was the person who initially taught him how to read, but in the end there was nothing
but pure hatred from her. Douglass had to learn how to read from other sources because of the
mistress’s neglect. In our current times, we think of a mistress as a person a husband would
have sexual relations with that his wife is usually unaware of. When the wife finds out about
the mistress, marriage is put on hold. I find it kind of comical that the mistress was a good
thing in the beginning, but in the end, she did nothing but create issues.
Douglass’ use of pathos made the excerpt of his autobiography more meaningful.
Throughout the excerpt of his autobiography he had one goal, to learn how to read and
write. He faced many challenges to be able to learn how to this. One example is when his
mistress stopped instructing him because her husband advised her not to. “My mistress,
who had kindly commenced to instruct me, had, in compliance with the advice and
direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct, but had set her face against my
being instructed by any one else,” even after this he did not stop trying to be literate.
He made friends with little white boys on the street and learned from them.
After reading his autobiography it is easy to see how hard it was being a slave. Even so,
there is a use of pathos that really shows how hard it really was. When Douglass says,
“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,” it shows that he knows that even if he learns how to read
and write there is no hope that he will escape from slavery.
Throughout the excerpt of his autobiography he had one goal, to learn how to read and
write. He faced many challenges to be able to learn how to this. One example is when his
mistress stopped instructing him because her husband advised her not to. “My mistress,
who had kindly commenced to instruct me, had, in compliance with the advice and
direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct, but had set her face against my
being instructed by any one else,” even after this he did not stop trying to be literate.
He made friends with little white boys on the street and learned from them.
After reading his autobiography it is easy to see how hard it was being a slave. Even so,
there is a use of pathos that really shows how hard it really was. When Douglass says,
“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,” it shows that he knows that even if he learns how to read
and write there is no hope that he will escape from slavery.
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