Big Ole' Douglass, The Narrative

It's very interesting to me, that this man, a slave, taught himself how to read and write; and now we're reading his book. You can't help but admire this man and his courage. Now let's be real here, it wasn't an easy task for him to teach himself how to read and write. He recieved a lot of harsh criticism for trying to do so, but he continued onward. Farther into his book he talks about living in the city and making friends with poor white boys, who would eventually be the ones helping to teach him. He would play little tricks on the children, just to try and learn new words.

Unfortunately, it wasn't all this easy for Douglass. In Chapter 7, he goes on to talk about how hard his life really is. "I often found myself regretting my own exsistance, and wishing myself dead ... " however, he kept persuing his dream of freedom no matter how great the cost.

I personally loved this narrative. It showed us the struggle between his inner conflicts and his utmost burning desires. I loved it and would recommend this to any reader, avid or not. Overall, I'd have to give him an "A" for effort.