what are the differences in the attitude of slaves towards their freedom before and after they received it.

Washington is adamant that blacks should progress from the foundations up. In his famous Atlanta Exposition address he states: "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top" (83). His own life began with "rags", as did the life of the Tuskegee Institute; it is an apt metaphor that he has his students dig the actual foundations for the buildings at Tuskegee. He often juxtaposes images from either his early life or the early life of the school with those from later on, highlighting the dramatic progress that was made. In this way he highlights his belief that individual merit and hard work can allow others of his race to achieve success, despite the barriers of social and political discrimination that stand in the way.