In Chapter VI (6), Douglass states that literacy is both a curse and a blessing to the slave. Explain this idea in the context of the Narrative.
When Douglas was in Baltimore, he taught himself to read. However, this alone revealed the deeper horrors of white supremacy tactics, forbidding slaves to become educated enough to read and write. The wife of his new master there in Baltimore was scolded for teaching him a few letters, for the master believed that the slaves would become unhappy if they grasped the concept of the written word.
This cruel idea was very popular among slave owners, for the possibility of educated slaves would bring catastrophe and the ideas of rebellion among their ranks. Education is a powerful thing and as Douglas learned to read, he too saw its effects on his mind.
Looking back, he was thankful he learned, for it gave him this opportunity to write down the account of his life. It also gave him a step up in becoming a free man, an educated ex-slave. This promised him a better life in a free-slave state, rather than an uneducated ex-slave.
In learning to read and write, Douglas realizes that it would be his key to obtaining his own freedom. This is the curse, for running away is a danger to one, but the temptation and possibility of freedom and a better life is the blessing.
