Literacy as a tool of subjugation in Frederick Douglass's narrative

Frederick Douglas

Theories differ on how people learn to read and write. The connection between reading and writing is one of the most debated topics in literary circles. However, the debate over this topic pales to the debate over the relationship between culture and literacy. Major theorists are divided into two groups of thought on this topic. The first argues that literacy is necessary for the advancement of culture and society. The other argues that literacy is independent of society and that they have little influence on each other.

By examining the writings of Frederick Douglas, a slave who learned to read and write, one can examine the connection between literacy and culture. Those that are literate serve as interpreters for those that are not and therefore become valuable public servants for their cultural group. This research will demonstrate how literacy has been used to separate and subjugate certain social classes throughout the history of America. This study will examine major theories of literacy using the lens of subjugation of certain social classes to support the thesis that literacy can be used as a tool to separate and subjugate lower social classes of society.

Douglas and the Slave's Perspective

Frederick Douglas's writing is more than simply another writing to add to the annals of the history of slavery in America. It stands as a testimony to the experience of being a slave and provides insight into many aspects of black America that have been suppressed by society. Douglas's work is a culturally relevant way of writing history that provides us with a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a slave in early America.

Deborah Brandt considers reading and writing to be two different activities. According to her theories, one does not necessarily inspire a person to pursue the other. Reading does not necessarily lead to a desire to learn to write. Brandt found that reading held higher prestige than writing and was considered more important (Brandt, p. 478). In the case of Douglas, reading came first, then writing. His narrative supports Brandt's theory, as reading proved a much more important skill for Douglas then writing.

It was reading that opened Douglas's eyes to the true state of the predicament of himself and that of other slaves. The world looked grim through the eyes of the press. Through reading, he became aware of the disdain that white society held for the slave. Reading this Anglo-centric viewpoint produced a sense of hopelessness in Douglas. He states, "It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony," (Douglas, par. 6). Douglas began to envy the other slaves who could not read, because they had not idea of their horrible condition.

Those that could not read and did not know the true nature of their existence could go about their daily lives and could attain a sense of happiness. However, Douglas was denied that happiness when he began to read. It sparked anger in him and he developed a rage and a yearning desire for the true freedom of which he read, but knew that he could not attain. The inability to read and understand the nature of their existence was a means to keep them happy servants, with no desire for anything else. If they did not know what was out in the world, they would not want it for themselves and could forever remain happy indentured servants of the dominant society.

The black man of the old South did not know how their white masters spoke of them. They did not know that they were being treated only as well as the animals. Douglas recalls that the mistress of the house tried to teach him to read at first, but was severely chastised for doing so by the plantation master. She soon became adamant about taking away any means for Douglas to read. She snatched the newspaper from his hands if he was caught reading it. From Douglas' perspective, she had fallen under the supremacist's spell, but there may have been other reasons for her outward disdain of his efforts to learn to read. She may have been in fear of societal repercussions, or from reprisals from her husband. She may have inwardly wanted him to learn to read, but was under societal obligation to show outward hostility towards the idea.

Social isolation is necessary if one culture wishes to dominate another. The inability to read and write in the native language leads to isolation and loneliness. Weinstein-Shr studies Hmong refugees and found that the inability to read and write English created severe social isolation (Solomon). In some cases, the tutor adds a dimension of friendship and social ties, in addition to the lessons (Solomon). Weinstein-Shr considers the relationships built through tutoring relationships to be the most important aspect of language acquisition programs (Solomon).

This was found to be the case with Douglas as well. He found companionship when the mistress of the household attempted to teach him to read. He had a feeling of loss and anger when he could no longer experience that bond with her. Douglas stated that when she was teaching him to read, she treated him as a human being. After the lessons stopped, she no longer treated him like a fellow human, but as property to be controlled and managed. The change in attitude was marked by cessation of the reading lessons.

According to Weinstein-Shr, language is a major barrier to gaining access to needed services and help that is needed (Solomon). It as not until Douglas learned to read that he heard about abolitionists. Reading about the abolitionists started Douglas down the road to developing a plan to escape. Literacy gave Douglas the desire and the means to bring about his own freedom.

The Hmong refugees studied by Weinstein-Shr have many similarities to African-Americans in the 1800s. They did not have a written language until white contact and largely consisted of tribal groups (Solomon). They were culturally isolated in many ways. Their traditions consisted of oral traditions and they relied on passing on information by word of mouth. When Douglas learned to read, he gained access to the mass media of the time. He realized what a powerful tool the written word could be, as compared to the tediousness and unreliability of passing on information through traditional channels.

Through using the written word, Douglas found that messages could be transferred more quickly. One could be exposed to many differing viewpoints and ideas when one learned to read. This could be said for any immigrant group that came to America. They brought with them their own unique cultural identity. Their culture remained relatively intact, as long as they lived in small communities with other immigrants of a similar background. However, when they began to read the native language, it opened up a new world of viewpoints and ideas. In this manner, literacy represents a blending of cultures and ideas through exposure.

Akinnaso defines individual consciousness as an integration of thoughts and behaviors (Akinnaso, p. 138). Consciousness is not only the internal atmosphere of the individual, but embodies how they represent their internal world through their actions. Akinnaso defines literacy as a way of, "perceiving, thinking, speaking, evaluating, and interacting that characterize a group so individuals and set them apart from others, " (Akinnaso, 139). He summarizes his arguments be arguing that one should refrain from making universal generalizations about literacy and the individual's perceived ignorance. Literacy can have deeply rooted cultural significance and one must look beyond their own culture in a non-judgmental way in order to understand them (Akinnaso, p.155).

Akinnaso's theories define the world of Douglas and the many other immigrant groups that were denied literacy as a form of social subjugation and isolation. Slaves were viewed ignorant and inferior to the white man. Their inability to read and write was often cited as "proof" that they were less than civilized human beings. It gave slavers a means to justify their actions in the face of society. It would have been considered an atrocity to treat a civilized human being, capable of reading and writing, in the manner in which slaves were treated. The same could be said of Native Americans, Irish Immigrants, or Chinese immigrants. Denial of the right to learn to read and write provided America with the labor force that it needed to become industrialized.

The ability to read and write in the native language are considered essential elements in the dawning of the industrial age. Douglas developed the desire to be free through reading. His first exposure to writing was through manual labor. He had to learn to write to a minimal degree in order to perform his job in the shipyard. One could use instances such as this to support the importance of literacy to the coming of the industrial age.

Harvey Graff tends to agree more with Brandt, in that industrialization, whether they live in a rural or urban population, and their access to education have a significant impact on the path that they will take in their lives (Cattau). Graff Asserts that literacy played a less significant role in the industrialization of American than was one thought. He argues that training people to read and write was not enough. Literacy alone was not enough to advance the industrialized nation (Cattau).

Douglas did not need to know how to read to perform his job in the shipyard. He only needed to know how to write four letters. He did not need to how to read and write proficiently. The workforce may have needed little bits of knowledge to perform their jobs, but this is different from being able to read and write fluently, which supports Graff's ideas on the importance of reading and writing to the industrial age. It relied more on the availability of a workforce, rather than the need for a literate workforce. The only ones that needed to learn to read and write were the managers and business owners. Literacy was not necessary for the average laborer.

Scribner and Cole analyzed the affects of three literacies, English schooling, Quran studies, and traditional Via script on various cognitive skills (Scribner and Cole, 1981). This study found that each of these literacy skills affected a different type of cognitive skill. One of the most significant findings of Scribner and Cole's work is that school learning is not dependent on the ability to read and write (Scribner and Cole, 1981). Most of the slaves in Douglas's time were unable to read and write, a privilege that had been intentionally denied them. However, they still had the ability to learn many tasks that were complicated and required great cognitive skill. The labor force of the 1800s was able to perform their job without the ability to read and write. Another example is the number of non-English speaking Chinese who build the rail system. They did not need to know how to read and write to do their job / Yet, collectively they built the infrastructure that gave America the edge.

Brandt felt that written language led to social and cognitive literacies. However, Akinnaso felt that culture could have a significant impact on textual literacy. The difference in these two opposing views is the direction of the relationship between culture and literacy. Where Brandt believes that literacy builds culture, Akinnaso believes that culture builds literacy. Brandt adheres to the sociohistorical explanation of literacy where oral and literate traditions are blended. Akinnaso did not feel that these traditions were always blended, but felt that culture was sometimes separate from literacy.

Regardless of one's position of the interconnection between culture and literacy, looking into the world of Douglas makes some significant points. Douglas would never separate himself from the African traditions and the slave culture that were his world. However, when he learned to read, he entered the world of the slave masters. He became exposed to a side of white culture that had been hidden from him when he was an illiterate slave. Illiteracy created cultural and social isolation between slaves and whites. One could agree with Brandt in that the ability to read and write led to social and cognitive literacies. Through learning to read, Douglas opened his mind to another culture that existed within a society. He learned about the abolitionists and about the ideals that Anglo-centric slavers held about Blacks. Through reading, Douglas gained a new level of social awareness. The culture of the slave, and many other ethnic groups, existed without literacy. Cultural literacy was gained through the act of reading, but literacy was not necessary for the existence of a certain culture.

One could also find support in Douglas' story for Akinnaso's theories as well. Akinnaso believed that culture built literacy, but did not necessarily believe that oral and literate traditions were blended. In Douglas' writing, one can see elements of black culture and the attitudes held by slaves, particularly the hopelessness and despair. However, elements of African oral tradition are absent in his writing. Douglas mimics the writing of white authors, which served as his only example from which to learn. Douglas did not have access to black writings, therefore his tone and style are more like that of whites at the time. The African dialect and oral traditions are absent, but slave attitudes and ideas are still intact. The writings of Douglas are formal in tone, with long sentences and a flowing style.

Miriam Sved debates the role of creative writing and its importance in academic circles. One of the most hotly debated topics is the relevance of art to politics and social forces that are alive in society, arguing against the stifling of creative and expressive forces (Sved). The account of Douglas's journey to beat the system and to learn to read justify this position. The ability to read, and perhaps write, provided the means for the slave to express themselves. They had a means to communicate their ideas and their plight. Literacy gave slaves the ability to transcend their own situation and to strive to achieve something higher. Douglas's essay supports Sved's argument that stifling creativity is a form of social repression.

Conclusion

In Frederick Douglas's time, slaves, women and other groups of immigrants were treated as commodities. They were products of capitalism and the ability of one culture to exploit and subjugate others. This ability relied partially on the ability to keep them isolated by denying them the ability to learn a common language. Theorists such as Brandt and Akinnaso highlight the isolating affect of illiteracy. The story of Douglas demonstrates how literacy opens doors that were once closed and provides a different perspective on a situation. Douglas did not become socially aware of his situation until he learned to read. As other slaves began to learn to read, they were able to transcend socioeconomic boundaries on the road to self-determinism.

In early America, freedom was a privilege of the literate and the educated. It was believed that if one could deny formal schooling, the ability to learn to read could be stopped. Stereotypes of blacks, Irish, Native American and Chinese immigrants painted them as ignorant and unable to learn to read and write. This was associated with inferiority and therefore sealed their fate as laborers, at the hand of the educated white class. They were intentionally denied the tools that they needed to break free of these stereotypes. Therefore, these stereotypes were self-perpetuating and became ingrained in society.

Douglas's attempts to learn to read were met with fear, disguised as anger. The master and mistress knew that if Douglas learned to read, then he could inform other slaves of what he learned, and perhaps give them the ability to learn to read themselves. If that happened, it was feared that they would be able to organize and break free of their white masters. This would have destroyed the fabric of the Southern economy and would have disrupted the society as it existed in those days. This was the underlying thoughts behind the mass effort to suppress literacy in African-Americans and other ethnic groups. It was a commonly held construct that it was immoral to teach a black to read. When one examines the importance of the slave to the Southern economy, this social taboo makes more sense.

Examining the experiences of Frederick Douglas supports the theory that literacy can be used as a social tool used for the subjugation of a certain culture, or groups of culture. In the early days of America, literacy was used as a means of social isolation, keeping valuable information from the hands of the oppressed. This included information about the abolitionists and laws that were to their favor. The ability to read and write indicated a certain level of social status that was only afforded to the white population. The member of an isolated ethnic community who learns to read suddenly becomes a valuable asset to that community. They can use their skills to bring needed resources to others. That one person can serve as a stepping stone for the entire community.

In conclusion, I would like to add an antidote from my own family that summarizes the arguments presented about the connection between social isolation and language. When my Grandmother, learned to read, she too learned with the help of a friend who acts as a teacher. Although the Irish could read and write, they were still separated out as being economically worthy of white social status. Douglas's work is important as a literary work, as it demonstrates the plight of the lower social classes of the time. Many of the stereotypes and rules that affected Douglas, also affected other groups as well.

We can learn much about the popular literary styles of the time through immigrants that learned to read and write. They mimicked what they heard. Therefore, their style and tone are representative of the literary styles of their teachers, regardless of the form that their teacher took. It is perhaps easier to spot these literary markers in the writings of immigrants, as they struggled very hard to "get it right." They paid attention to the style of how things were said and they worked very hard to mirror these attitudes and formalities of their own writings. In this manner, the written works of immigrants can be considered a valuable contribution to period literature of the time, as it is likely to be an accurate example of period style and thought. Douglas achieved status when he could write his name. Through his own journey into literacy, he was able to secure a brighter future for himself and other immigrants like him.