This passage was taken from chapter six of “The Story of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Here, Douglass explains in detail the moment his new mistress, Mrs. Auld, begins teaching him to read a few letters of the alphabet. Mr. Auld caught her and stopped her from teaching Douglass. For the first time, young Douglass realized the whites' policies that were preventing blacks from becoming literate and told Mr. Auld. A woman's education ruins a slave. After hearing their words, Douglass began to see that the life of an illiterate black slave only increased the future number of slaves. Slave owners used it as a weapon to deprive black men of their knowledge. In the end, white people remained in power. while controlling the lives of black people by destroying their homes and families. Mr. Auld believed that teaching a slave was not only a bad idea, but also against the law. Douglass said, “Learning would spoil the best Negro in the world.” » At this point, Douglass mentioned that he had a completely new realization, a new thought that black men were slaves due to their lack of knowledge. Douglass understands the primary function that literacy plays in a white-dominated society at this time. Things for a young slave will make him “unmanageable” and “unfit” to do his slave work. Education will elevate the conscious mind of the slave and help him understand the value of a free life, Douglass thought without educating the slave. would never learn what he should have had and what he lacked. He was in a dark place where the rest of the slaves knew nothing about free life. He believed that only education could give them the desired life if he learned to read. then he would no longer need to be a slave. T...... middle of paper ......fe by building strong self-awareness. This passage is extremely important in terms of the theme of the book. Before, Douglass never had any idea because he considered himself just a slave because he was supposed to be. Slave owners demanded great gratitude and passive manners from their slaves. They liked to see slaves as passive receivers who must always remain grateful to their masters. White wealth and power made slaves feel inferior to whites. The illiteracy of black men established their dependence on whites. Whites used literacy to dominate blacks, and the story allows the reader to realize that slaves could live more independently and freely by educating themselves. A man's life would be under his own control if he learned to read and write. Ultimately, literacy helps free him from slavery.