Table of ContentsWhy Would Slave Owners Want Ignorant Slaves? as a free man from a very young age. He decided to learn to read and write because he was convinced that education and knowledge would give him a better life. Lack of education or illiteracy was the most common method slave owners used to maintain a system of slavery. Thus, pushing Douglass to educate himself. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is Douglass's written illustration of the life and times of the American slave. This powerful narrative vividly addresses the ignorance of slaves as the primary tool used by slave owners to maintain control. Douglass skillfully takes the reader through a detailed account of the cruel and inhumane system of mistreatment of black people. He recounts his life at the risk of his own death and shares the terrible images of his American experience to raise awareness among those who are blind to the pain endured by slaves. In The Story of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he explains how ignorance was a deeply ingrained method of controlling the American slave, including loss of identity, lack of literacy, and the harsh consequences of knowledge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayLoss of IdentityA slave had no real concept of time or dates. Slaves did not have access to basic knowledge of real-world facts, such as knowing their year of birth. The inability to celebrate birthdays disconnects them from their culture. Ultimately, this results in identity theft. Douglass was born a slave and did not know his age. Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, but could only guess at the time of his actual birth. He estimates that he was born in 1817. A date which was later corrected to 1818. Not only did the slave not know his date of birth, but he was often unaware of the existence of his parents. Making the slave feel subhuman, like property as the slave owner viewed him. Douglass introduces himself at the beginning of his story by saying that he "does not remember ever meeting a slave who could tell his birthday." Douglass goes on to say that few slaves have basic information about where they came from or who they are. What we call a common right is considered a privilege of intelligence not granted by their slave owners. Douglass further reiterates that “it is the wish of most masters…to keep their slaves in ignorance.” It is the slave owners who whip and beat their slaves who prevent their slaves from even dreaming of these basic human rights. The slave is made to believe that possessing any form of intelligence only causes more discontent among the slaves. Another profound thought shared by Douglass is how his lack of self-knowledge affects his treatment. As a slave, as he was "not permitted to make such inquiries...he considered such inquiries on the part of a slave to be improper and impertinent and to be evidence of a restless soul." He is clever in his explanation that the slave owner would not answer any questions regarding the origin of the slave. Such demands would label them as “troublemakers” and subject them to even more inhumane treatment by turning them into submissive slaves. Thus, the desire of slaves to have a basic knowledge of who they are would be systematically denied. Even if all other beingshumans possessed this basic knowledge, slave owners used it in one way or another as another way to satisfy their slaves. Ignorance is the tool responsible for the successful oppression of slave owners and their ability to profit from the free labor of slaves. Lack of LiteracyDouglass refers to another effective tool of ignorance being the slaves' lack of ability to read and write. He recalls how he resisted the very institution of slavery in his desire to learn to read and write. This was a major fear of slave owners. They feared that if their slaves learned to read and write, they would feel less like slaves and more like white men and unfit to be slaves. This means that the slave would realize that he was equal and would resist his owners' attempts to continue to enslave him. Douglass said, “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my slaveholders. Douglass goes on to share that learning to read and write allowed him to see everything around him differently. He began to see things through the lens of a free man and not as that of a slave. He then began to envy the illiterate slave because he now felt burdened by this new knowledge and understanding of his depth. » Douglass was taught to read by Captain Auld's wife, Sophia. She would eventually become as ruthless as her husband. In his account, Douglass explained how he used this to his advantage after he was forbidden to read: "Nothing seemed to make Sophia Auld angrier than to see me with a newspaper. She seemed to think that this was where the danger lay. A slave's inability to read and write makes him believe he is nothing more than cattle. Sophia is ultimately intimidated by Douglass's intelligence and fears that he will no longer believe his oppressor's lies and will begin to behave like a thoughtful man. The lost ignorance of slaves constitutes a real danger for both the owner and the slave. Slave owners risked financial bankruptcy due to the potential loss of free labor. The slave risks his life because of the determination of those who take advantage of his ignorance. Consequences of Knowledge Thanks to Sophia, it is impossible to avoid the new path of knowledge and the challenges that accompany it. As stated, “the first step had been taken. Mistress, while teaching me the alphabet, had given me the thumb, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the yardstick. Douglass possesses a strong determination to eradicate his ignorance. He understands that he has received a gift that few slaves have given and that not everyone who receives this knowledge uses it to escape slavery and build a life as a free man. Regardless of the consequences, Douglass persists in using his newfound ability to read and write not only to help himself, but also to help others like himself. Continuing to progress in his literacy, Douglass is made more aware of the efforts being made to prevent him from acquiring it "as I read and contemplated the subject, see! that same discontent which Master Hugh had predicted would follow my learning to read had already come to torment and sting my soul to inexpressible anguish. He now understands how knowledge is seen as a transfer of power after seeing his teacher turn against him for learning what she had taught him in secret. Douglass doesn't know what comes next or even what to expect from his increase in intelligence. However, it is clear that his illiteracy was a major tool used by slave owners to maintain