how does literacy sustain him?
When Douglass heard that his owner feared slaves learning , he was astounded; "it was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain." The pathway from slavery to freedom was now illuminated. Even though Douglass was sad to lose his instruction from his mistress, he was grateful to have the reality of the power of learning made clear to him.
Douglass decided that he would pursue reading and learning on his own.
