views on freedom and knowledge still apply today. Knowledge is a means of acquiring more .
freedom thus improving one's ability to make choices and think critically. In Douglass's case, .
since he was a slave, when he began his learning process, it freed his mind and expanded his .
imagination. He was a victim of the evil system but was relatively fortunate compared to other .
slaves. Free from questioning why things are the way they awakening his "slumbering vital train .
of thought," (19)? Freedom is the ability for one to make good decisions for themselves at the .
time being having logical reasoning for what they have decided. Life is tough if one is poverty .
stricken and living in harsh conditions. A mind without knowledge is like one's brain being .
chained down in prison cell. One can escape a bad situation without wondering past the borders .
of reality.
Where do humans come from? There are a large variety of beliefs on this subject ranging .
from religion to scientific accounts. The Upanishad states that humans derived from "self .
(Atman) alone," and that everything is a part of Self (Upanishads, Creation 97). The Norse .
believed that Odin and his two brothers breathed into logs their divine spirit and watched the .
human race arise from these logs, (Norse, First Humans 107). There are numerous myths as to .
how the world along with the human race were created. It is up to the individual in what they .
choose to hold their faith in. The stories of how the world and the human race came about are .
myths. A myth is a traditional about heroes or supernatural beings, explaining the origins of .
natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior. These myths often address the same .
phenomena but teach different views. No one knows if any of these myths are true. There is no .
way of proving these phenomenons true although science is coming closer everyday. These days .
people do not take myths literally. A classic myth is that of Adam and Eve in the Book of .