to underscore the author's realization that reading and writing are important skills for gaining freedom
Explanation:
The excerpt presented in the above question is from the book "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" which is the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, a black man who grew up as a slave. The excerpt shows the moment when, as a slave, Douglass realized how important education was to the freedom of black people. He realized this when one of his "masters" forbade his wife to teach him to read and write, because he believed that education was dangerous for blacks, because it would give them knowledge and power, which were the perfect weapons for them to become revolt against the whites. While the master saw education as something to be avoided at all costs, Douglass realized that education was the most valuable thing he should pursue and this is evidenced by the structure of the excerpt.
