Nelson James

English 91

4 January 2017

Essay 1

Frederick Douglass and Sherman Alexie are two very similar writers in Douglas

Learning to Read and Write and Alexiss Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me.

Although Douglas and Alexie had two different ways of learning both writers had to go through

adversity. Frederick Douglass was a slave. In that time period slaves weren't educated and if a

slave was to be openly educated something cruel and physical would happen. Alexie was an

immigrant. Alexie was suppose to have some sense but wasn't suppose to be as smart as the

American boys. When classmates and teachers discovered he was smarter that caused lots of

problems. Both these writers are similar because both writers couldn't show off their full ability

at times where they were suppose to be inferior to others. I believe that Douglas and Sherman

were two of the Best writers who went through so much adversity to become such successful

writers.

Frederick Douglas became educated at a young age. Douglas would always get

lessons from his mistress who he describe to be a very nice women. Although the mistress would

teach Douglass she would teach him little things like the alphabet. At this time Frederick was

very narrow minded and wasn't aware of his learning abilities. On days where Douglas was alone

he would slowly begin to read novels. The owners of Frederick saw progress in him, the father of

the family told his wife which is the mistress to be more harsh on Frederick and not give any

more lesson, the first step in her downward course was ceasing to instruct mepg(119) said

Douglas. Instead Douglas figured out a solution to his mistress not giving any more lesson or
giving him the ability to read newspapers. Douglas made friends with some of the little white

boys pg(120) in the neighborhood. By meeting the white boys in his neighborhood he converted

his friends into teachers. The only way this method would work is by serving his white friends

bread, while serving his friends bread he would bring a novel along while doing errands and read

books on his own as well. The book The Columbian Orator pg(120) was the book that change

Douglass views on everything. Douglas gained knowledge on things about slavery also made

goals to read and write at such a young age. After copying tunes of handwriting from his master,

I finally succeeded in learning how to read and write pg(123) said Frederick Douglas.

Sherman Alexie was very similar to Douglas but in different context. Alexie was not a slave but a

immigrant in a Indian reservation. Alexie was very fortunate. Alexie father was a man who

collected books. At a young age Alexie got into reading books and comic books. At the age of

three he started to read comic books. Alexie analyzed paragraphs. Alexie analyzed the purpose of

paragraphs. Alexie method was to make things that are in everyday life to a paragraph. But the

adversity Alexie had to deal with was going to a catholic school. While he was at the catholic

school there were stereotypes of Indian boys stating that, We were Indian children who were

expected to be stupid pg(17)said Alexie. However, Alexie wasn't stupid he was the complete

opposite. Smarts Indian students were very dangerous widely feared. Alexie would have fights

with classmates because of his knowledge. Alexie also couldn't show his full ability.

Frederick Douglas and Sherman Alexie are very similar. These two great writers are

similar because their views on education. Both writers knew they didn't have the highest

expectations from peers and classmates. Frederick and Alexie both had to become smart on their

own. Both writers were not expected to be smarter than other student that were privileged.

Although both these writers are similar Alexie is different from Frederick because of how
arrogant Alexie was. Frederick Douglas in any means couldn't be if Frederick were to be

arrogant that would resolve in a beating.

But both Frederick and Alexie methods were reading and those methods took them far.

Alexie became a multiple award winning writer and frederick douglas became one of the the

most prominent in the civil rights movement African American leaders and issued the

Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 abolishing slavery with the 13th

commandment. Frederick Douglas gave the African American people hope.