Douglass is aware that knowing how to read and write are both very important, yet he wishes that they did not come with the discovery of the full extent of the horrors of life, which in his case, would be slavery. ... This newfound knowledge tormented Douglass, making every day spent enslaved, a painful one. ...

• Word Count: 654
• Approx Pages: 3

In his opening lines, Douglass addresses how the institution of slavery narrows slaves' opportunities for self-knowledge. ... His autobiography is a story of self-discovery; he details how his growing awareness of his condition, through his self-acquired education, propelled him to re-create himself. ...

• Word Count: 1047
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School