Frederick Douglass & Malcolm X: An Analysis on Literacy PDF

Preview

Summary

A compare and contrast essay between the value of literacy as presented by Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X. Could also be used as a suitable compare and contrast essay for many literature and writing classes....

Description

Frederick Douglass & Malcolm X: An Analysis on Literacy

“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.” (Douglass, 121) Literacy, throughout human history, has been amongst the most valuable skill a person could possess. In ancient times, it separated the wealthy and the poor, the educated and the ignorant, the free and the enslaved. To Frederick Douglass, a former slave, reading acted as a window into the reality of his condition. It enlightened him as to the truth of his enslavement, but did not provide him with the remedy for it. To Douglass, literacy was both a blessing and a curse. On the other hand, Malcolm X, famed black rights activist, sees literacy in a different light. To X, Literacy was the answer to his oppressive predicament, not just the window. Literacy was the way to break the binds of oppression, not just recognize them. Though both men learned the same skill, they each saw it in a different light. In Douglass’ narrative, he describes his life in the home of Master Hugh’s. Living there for seven years, Douglass learned to write. He did not possess a teacher, and was forbidden to learn at all. Mistress Hugh’s taught him for a short time, but stopped and forbade him from learning any further. Despite this, Douglass designed a plan. He began to learn from the other poor boys of Baltimore. In exchange for bread, the boys “would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” (Douglass, 119) Upon turning twelve, Douglass got a hold of a copy of the Columbian Orator. The book taught Douglass the irrationality of slavery and his own predicament. Only then did Douglass realize why he was barred from reading: reading made slaves intractable and difficult to manage. He felt more hate for his masters, seeing them as a group of thieves who had taken his people from Africa. Douglass was faced with a difficult

reality; he is now aware of his awful situation, but does not have the power to change it. His ability only progressed as he worked in Baltimore’s wharf, where he perfected his reading and writing ability. Through his entire life, Douglass knew nothing but slavery, and was therefore unaware of how awful his life truly was. Through reading, he was made aware of the awful truth of his reality. He now detested those who held him captive. He was filled with an overwhelming level of cognitive dissonance: he hated his situation, but could not change it. Therefore, to Douglass, reading did not only fail to free him from his binds, but made his situation exponentially worse. Douglass states “… that very discontentment which Master Hugh had predicted would follow my learning to read had already come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish.” (121) It’s fascinating that Douglass believed this, as it seems counter intuitive. He describes early in his narrative that literacy made a slave unruly. One would be compelled to believe that Douglass would see literacy as a rare gift, one that many other slaves did not have, and thus a blessing. Unfortunately, he sees it quite differently. Malcolm X’s story plays out differently. X learned to read in the prison system, while imprisoned for Burglary. He was frustrated with his inability to read or write properly, and to articulate his thoughts eloquently. Whilst in the Norfolk Prison Colony, he began to read the dictionary and copying words through it. With his time in prison, he became progressively more educated. He became capable of picking up any book and finally understanding its meaning, rather than just going through the motions of reading. As he continued, according to X, “…this new world opened to me, of being able to read and understand.”(276) With his new understanding. X came to believe that history had been “whitened”. He learned of the missing history of the black man, ignored and forgotten about; written over with “white history”. His

hunger for knowledge continued, as he searched specifically for books about black history in the prison’s school. He, much like Douglass, learned of the total horror of slavery. X became inspired by the radical teachings of Nat Turner and John Brown. He concluded that almost all of the suffering of non-whites was brought about by the white man. X states “ Not even Elijah Muhammad could have been more eloquent than those books in providing indisputable proof that the collective white man had acted like a devil in virtually every contact he had with the world’s collective non-white man.” (279) Only through literacy did Malcom X’s political revolution begin. Malcolm X clearly believes that literacy is a powerful. He argues that literacy is not only a window to the reality of his situation, but gave him the power to change it. With the realization that his ethnic history had been erased, he was enraged. This fueled his quest to learn more, and with greater knowledge came a greater drive for social change. Literacy completely changed the course of his life while in prison served X as one of the most important skills he possessed. With literacy, he was capable of acting on his new found feelings, speaking eloquently enough to rally followers and enact social change. For X, literacy was the window into reality and the power to change it. In X’s time a literate black man, let-alone an incarcerated one, was a rarity. X’s case was one in a million, and it’s fascinating to consider what may have happened if there were more people in X’s position. Would he have gained greater traction for social change? Could he have accomplished more had there been more literate black men? Both Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X learned to read late in their lives, but both saw the ability to do so differently. Douglass saw it as a curse, as it allowed him to see his dismal reality but did not allow him to change it. X saw it as both the ability to see and change his reality. It is difficult to narrow down why they saw it differently, but it may very well be a

product of their time. Indeed, they lived almost an entire generation apart. The ability to read gave them both vastly different perspectives on life. If such a thing is possible when they were only separated by a few years, it is impossible to say what literacy will mean in the future. It may become an entirely obsolete skill, replaced by increasingly simplified language. However, as it has for thousands of years, literacy will likely remain an enlightening skill that will lead to higher understanding of reality. For both Douglass and X, the same skill can mean two very different things, but it’s necessary to understand the world.

In class comments/review: Use a greater sense of complexity. Add a little depth. A bit summary heavy, add more analysis. Use “signal phrases” to force reader to analyze the pieces in greater depth. Add maybe 2-3 sentences per paragraph, summarizing in an analytical way the larger meaning of the piece. “Douglass maintains that literacy represents x, y, z…”...