Jeshurun Nuu

Ms. Chastain

ENG 100

December 5, 2010

Task 4

            The value of reading and writing to our country is greatly needed, not only to the development of our country but to life it’s self. I don’t see this world functioning without it because; we use it in our daily lives. Reading a news paper, painting a picture, writing the news papers, books, signs for a sense of direction to where to go. Reading and writing matter’s to what we all comprehend on what we do. The value of reading is very important to everybody in this world we live in. Without it, I doubt that our country would have got far as it did.  When I was younger my mother read to me, and it made me want to read more.

I always liked writing and reading when I was younger. From the first time that I knew I liked reading was when my mother use to read stories to me from the bible. I was lucky enough to have a mother who started reading to me early. I loved hearing it, and sometimes she would make me read. When I started reading the bible most of the words were challenging, because it was a different language.  When I read I was always interested in what the stories had to tell me. The adventures Moses and Israel had traveling, or the man named Samson who was so strong he can bring down a whole building.  Many of the stories made me want to read more. In high school, they made all of the kids be accountable of for reading books. I thought it was easy compared to all the students who had a problems reading.

Three days ago I read How I Learned to Read and Write a story on how Fredrick Douglas had to struggle to learn how to read, and later on write. He went through so many situations, you would think he wouldn’t survive, but as the story said, he was a kind and smart boy. He was smart to make friends with white poor boys in the street. He brought bread to them as long as they gave him lessons on how to read. He tried to learn how to read for a purpose, and it was to be free. Free from slavery and all the wickedness that came with it. When I think of him today, I think of him as a determined man who is trying to better his life, and get away from slavery. I think many people, not just African Americans, appreciate him. I think his determination and will to learn how to read and write, is a great inspiration. He showed us how to break away from what is wrong, and to do what we must to succeed at what we want to do.

Through reading and writing Fredrick Douglas found a way to be free, and we found a way to express our feelings by writing. He learned how to write by writing the initials of the ships based on where they were going (Douglas141). Unlike Douglas, I had someone to teach me. My mother helped me pronounce every word that was hard. Douglas had  learn by white boys on the street. I would think learning how to write now days would be easier for everybody because slavery is not going on. People are not threatened if they want to learn something that will improve your life. He was not allowed to learn, we are encouraged too. That’s why Douglas wrote stories about his life situations to express what he had inside his heart.  If he was still alive today, I would think he would take advantage of every opportunity he was given.

When I think of why people read, I think because of knowledge and entertainment. For Fredrick’s reason, it was knowledge. For mine, it was entertainment.  I loved reading and liked reading for the adventure that the story brings; the fast pace, edge of your seat stuff. It gets me away from everything and just lets my imagination go free.             Fredrick on the other hand read to be free. He learned that in reading, comes great power, the power to be free and to be his own man. He did more than just take his freedom back, but take his life back that he never had the chance to experience.

Fredrick Douglass sensed that words can be a powerful way to change a life as well as changing history. Reading and writing is a great deal not to just Fredrick Douglass, but to all of us as the future. Today in society, reading and writing is surrounds us all, and is basically our history. Reading and writing is what we do every day, and is easier than it was back then. We have schools that accept anybody, no matter what color you are. Today our society encourages us to succeed. In Fredrick’s time, they were not allowed to learn. They were nothing more than just slaves. They were never given a chance to learn how to read or write. Today we have a choice and are free to read and write as we please.  I took the opportunity and wrote this paper to express what I feel on my experiences that I had with reading and writing. I now love to read, and writing is also getting to where I like it more.  Reading has been a big thing in my life as well as writing. It is just a way to express and to learn new beginnings every day.