Frederick Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write” Through the Lens of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
In Plato’s masterwork, “The Republic”, his “Allegory of the Cave” appears in the seventh book. “Allegory of the Cave” tells the story of a prisoner who has been isolated in a dark cave for as long as he can remember, locked down and held back by chains. He is only able to look at what is directly in front of him. When the prisoner is reluctantly dragged out of the cave and forced against his will to look at the sun, he is in pain and it takes a great deal of time to adjust to the newfound light. Once he does, he believes his fellow prisoners should also have the opportunity to see something besides the shadows, to finally gain perspective and look at the world for what it truly is. Upon returning to the cave, he finds himself rejected by the other prisoners. Just as he was once, they are hesitant and hostile to change; they are content only looking at the shadows. The Allegory ends with the confirmation that if the prisoners had the opportunity to kill the man attempting to enlighten them, they would do so.
“Learning to Read and Write” is a short story written by Frederick Douglass – an African American slave who had a desire to be education and was denied of the privilege for his entire life. For seven years, he is placed in a home with a man named Master Hughs and his family, including his mistress. At first, the mistress wants to help Douglass learn to read. She teaches him the alphabet, but quickly changes her mind and becomes incredibly violent and cruel towards him. Douglass works around her, and every obstacle he faces along the way, and does what he needs to do until he finally succeeds in learning to read. However, he finds pain and torment in this knowledge, in the awareness of slavery’s unthinkable, heartbreaking history. Many similarities and differences are present between Frederick Douglass’ journey and the prisoner’s from Plato’s Allegory. The chains represent the mistress, each of the rugged ascents are contrasting, and the two protagonists have very alike experiences after they are exposed to their respective truths and light. The significance behind the chains, the rugged ascent, and the return to the cave in Plato’s Allegory can all be directly compared to many important ideas in “Learning to Read and Write”, proving that the Allegory will always be prevalent in many works of literature.
The role that the chains of the prisoners play in Plato’s Allegory is similar to the role of the mistress in “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass. The prisoners have all been locked in a cave, held back by shackles and forced to look at what is only right in front of them. They are unable to turn their heads and they are blind to the truth and to the light, oblivious to the world outside of their dark shelter. These chains, bound around necks and wrists, effectively keep people in a state of ignorance. Similarly, in “Learning to Read and Write”, the mistress does everything in her power to keep Douglass from reading. She becomes brutally violent towards him and each time she sees him with any form of writing or literature in his hands, she does everything in her power to put a stop to it. “I have had her rush at me with a face made all up of fury, and snatch from me a newspaper, in a manner that fully revealed her apprehension” (Douglass 164). The mistress takes on the role of Douglass’ chains. She restrains him from seeing the truth and holds him back from knowledge. She makes endless attempts to keep him sheltered and isolated. The same pattern occurs in Plato’s Allegory, when the prisoner is being held back by chains and forced to look at the shadows, day after day. Douglass and the prisoner are both bound by something, whether it’s physical shackles or a cruel woman, and these factors are what is stopping the two men from reaching their fullest potential.
In Plato’s Allegory, the prisoner’s rugged ascent can be contrasted to the journey of Frederick Douglass in “Learning to Read and Write”. After living a life in a darkened, isolated cave, a prisoner is forcefully dragged upwards and out of the cave. He is and has no desire to look at the sun; he is reluctant and unwilling. Until he adjusts to the light, the experience as a whole is described to be painful and irritating for him. Frederick Douglass’s journey is quite different from the prisoner’s. In “Learning to Read and Write”, Douglass is desperate for more knowledge and truths and he puts the jarring task of finding them in his own hands. Outside of his home, he manages to become friendly with some of the white boys that went to school. The boys are young enough to be willing to help but old enough to teach him. “With their kindly aid, obtained at different places and in different times, I finally succeeded in learning to read” (Douglass 164). More than anything else, Douglass wants to learn and read and write and discover. He wants to escape his state of ignorance, while the prisoner is content staying in it and looking at the shadows. The rugged ascent is a present, important piece in both works of literature, but the protagonists approach the ascent in very contrasting ways. For the prisoner, it is being dragged out of the cave and forced to look at the light. For Douglass, it is pulling himself out of the darkness, overcoming all obstacles, and doing everything in his power to finally see the light.
Another very important section of Plato’s Allegory that can be connected to Frederick Douglass’s “Learning to Read and Write” is when the prisoner returns to the cave. After the prisoner is released from the cave, he sees the world in a different way and believes that the rest of the prisoners should have the opportunity to see it as well. When the prisoner attempts to help the others escape from the cave, he is turned away and faces loneliness and isolation. Looking at Plato’s Allegory as a lens for Frederick Douglass’s story and experience, it is clear that the isolation Douglass felt was akin to that of the prisoner. Once Douglass learns to read and is able to uncover many truths about slavery and basic human rights, there are many times where he wishes he had remained oblivious to his condition and the abuse of all african americans. Most slaves did not know how to read and Douglass could not discuss his newfound findings with his masters. He was forced to deal with this painful knowledge entirely on his own. “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow slaves for their stupidity” (Douglass 166). Douglass had been sheltered for his entire life and when he is finally able to see these truths and look at society in a completely different perspective, he finds himself alone. This agonizing solitude can be related back to how the prisoner felt as he made his way back into the cave. Both men had been exposed to the light and afterwards, found themselves detached and isolated.
“The Allegory of the Cave” tells the story of a sheltered prisoner, unable to look at anything but the shadows for the longest time. He finally sees the sun and gains perspective, he becomes enlightened. “Learning to Read and Write” tells the story of Frederick Douglass, a slave who is forbidden from reading or writing. When he takes the steps he needs to, when he learns to read and teaches himself to write, he becomes educated. In Plato’s Allegory, the chains hold the prisoner in the cave and keep him away from the world outside, while the Mistress shelters Douglass and does her best to ensure he is never granted the opportunity to educate himself. The prisoner’s rugged ascent is one that is forced upon him; he is reluctant while Douglass is entirely the opposite. He is aware of his ignorance and he wants to put an end to it, and he is willing to do anything to gain knowledge and wisdom. After the prisoner and Douglass are exposed to the light, the prisoner returns to the cave and Douglass goes back to his daily life. They are both isolated and alone. There are also many comparable themes between “Learning to Read and Write” and “The Allegory of the Cave”. Both literary works have underlying messages of how dangerous ignorance can be, and how many people are truly not aware of the truths of reality. There is also emphasis in both pieces on the importance of education, enlightenment, and perspective. The similarities found between Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and Frederick Douglass’ “Learning to Read and Write” are clear examples that the Allegory is still studied centuries after it was published, and will continue to be prevalent and important for many years to come.
Works cited
- Douglass, Frederick. “‘Learning to Read and Write.’” Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, Chartwell Books, an Imprint of Book Sales, a Division of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 2015.
- Plato. “‘The Allegory of the Cave.’” Republic, Oxford University Press, 2008.