Question

How does Douglass succeed in learning to read and write, according to Chapter 7 of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass?
A. Douglass sneaks and sits outside of the schoolhouse, listening in as the teacher talks.
B. He is taught by white boys on the street in exchange for bread.
C. Mrs. Auld secretly continues to teach him.
D. Since Mrs. Auld had already taught him some letters, he succeeds in teaching himself the rest.

Answer 1

Answer: B. He is taught by white boys on the street in exchange for bread.

Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist. Born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped, and became a leader of the abolitionist movement. He was famous for his oratory and writing skills.

In the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he explains how he learned how to read and write. In Chapter 7, Douglass writes that at first, his master's wife decided to teach him the alphabet. However, she was persuaded of the incompatibility of slavery and education, and decided to stop. Douglass then decided to ask the white boys he met in his errands for instruction, in exchange for bread. In this way, and by observing the writing of the men he worked with, Douglass learned how to read and write. He goes on to say that being able to do so allowed him to gain more knowledge about the world, which then convinced him of the injustices of slavery and allowed him to hope for freedom.