LITR 5731 UHCL 2006 sample student midterm

LITR 5731: Seminar in American Multicultural Literature
Sample Student Midterm, Spring 2006

Anuruddha Ellakkala

Can Literacy Dissolve a Slave’s Chains?

“Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men,—the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”--Horace Mann

Do you know there are some millionaires who do not know how to read and write or even sign their names, but they use finger prints instead? They just know how to count money and depend on highly literate professionals. Do you know some pregnant Chinese mothers take small record players with them wherever they go? They fasten the record players on their stomach areas and play English songs and speeches to teach English to their unborn children preparing a new generation for the global economical dream. Literacy is the power. Clearly, (ability of reading and writing) literacy is the only way for African Americans to achieve their dreams. African Americans have double dreams. They have a dream of freedom from slavery and a voice and choices as Africans. They also have a dream to merge into the common American dream the dream of equal opportunities as Americans. However, skin color and poverty are the two main obstacles that prevent them from entering into the main stream. Nevertheless, literacy gives them opportunities to break these barriers. Frederick Douglass and Olaudah Equiano, slave narrators in Classic Slave Narratives, understand this fact; some of the characters of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon and Claireece Precious Jones in Sapphire’s Push prove this fact.

Douglass and Equiano are the earliest African Americans who had proven this truth. Douglass is a hybrid. He was born to an African slave woman because of her slave master. Even though a white person’s blood runs in Douglass’s veins, he has no privilege to escape from the slavery. Once, Douglass told to his white friend his pathetic destiny, "you will be free as soon as you are twenty-one, but I am a slave for life” (Douglass 368). But, there is a remedy for Douglass. The remedy is literacy. Mr. Auld knew that, and he warned his wife:

If you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy. (Douglass 364)

Mr. Auld’s words enlightened Douglass’ mind. Douglass reveals, “From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom” (Douglass 364). Moreover, Douglass realizes that illiteracy is "the white man’s power to enslave the black man" (Douglass 364). Since they are unable to read and write, it is Douglass’ understanding that colored people are like animals in the slave owner’s farms. Douglass explains, “We were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and women, old and young, married and single, were ranked with horses, sheep and swine” (Douglass 373). Since they are so incompetent, white people can easily handle them like animals. Furthermore, Mr. Auld’s statement reveals the slave owner’s intentions. He says that “A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do” (Douglass 364). Although slaves are human beings, they are treated just like animals under the authority of slave owners. Douglass has a dream to break these chains of the animalistic slavery. However, the only weapon that can destroy the iron chains of slavery is literacy.

Douglass demonstrates how his reading and writing skills helped him to melt out the links of this iron chain. He says, “I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass” (Douglass 371). Since Douglass wishes to write about himself, he has to read and gain knowledge of the outside world. Therefore, Douglass reads books. These books help him not only to be a literate person but it also gives him hope to be a free man. For example, Douglass says:

I was now about twelve years old, and the thought of being a slave for life began to bear heavily upon my heart. Just about this time, I got hold of a book entitled “The Columbian Orator.” . . . I found in it a dialogue between a master and his slave. . . The slave was made to say some very smart as well as impressive things in reply to his master . . . the conversation resulted in the voluntary emancipation of the slave on the part of the master.

The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder. What I got from Sheridan was a bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights. The reading of these documents brought forward to sustain slavery” (Douglass 369).

In addition to the books, he gained his intellectual power by reading a newspaper called the Liberator. According to Douglass’ words, his readings helped him to understand his rights as a human being. Until then, he was ignorant about human rights just like all the other African slaves. However, his reading enriched his common knowledge. Douglass states, “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers” (Douglass 369). Furthermore, his reading helped him to understand anti-slavery movements in America; and he attended anti-slavery meetings and spoke at these meetings. Certainly, the statement that Mr. Auld had made to his wife, “‘if you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell,’” occurred to Douglass’s mind constantly (Douglass 364). Later Douglass proclaimed, “Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking me the ell” (Douglass 368). Clearly, here the word “inch” means literacy and the word “ell” could represent the equal opportunities that slaves dreamt about.

Just like Douglass, Equiano recognizes the power of learning language. He is very new to the English language. Equiano and his sister were born in Africa; and they were kidnapped and sold as slaves by African slave dealers. Even though Equiano’s sad experiences are incomparable to the horrible experiences of Douglass, both men had a similar dream. They wanted to learn how to read and write and then get rid of slavery. Equiano explains, “I had long wished to be able to read and write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain instruction” (Vassa 81). Equiano is a very enthusiastic boy; and he did not want to listen to the words that Douglass heard from Mr. Auld, “‘if you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell,’” (Douglass 364). From the beginning he is very curious about books. Equiano says:

“I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to learn how all things had a beginning. For that purpose I have often taken up a book, and talked to it, and then put my ears to it, when alone, in hopes it would answer me.” (Vassa 70)

Equiano understands that white people are different from the African people. He probably assumes that colored people are enslaves because they could not read and write like white people could. Furthermore, Equiano thought that if he could obtained reading skills and writing skills, he would reach the same level as the white people. Equiano describes:

“I could now speak English tolerably well, and perfectly understood every thing that was said. I not felt myself quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior to us: and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them, to imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manner. (Vassa 81)

Although Equiano cannot totally “resemble” the English people and imbibe “their spirit”, his literacy helped him to brighten his own spirit. Fortunately, Equiano is able to stay around with good people. He says, “My master treated me always extremely well” (Vassa 80). Furthermore, Equiano writes about Miss Guerins, who had treated him with so much kindness. Equiano describes “when I was there before, and they sent me to school” (Vassa 81). Moreover, Equiano is very grateful to them because “they often used to teach [him] to read” (Vassa 82). After he learned to read and write, he was able to understand that Africans are also respectable people; he understood and they have human rights similar to the rights of white people. Equiano says “nothing could prevent” him from his dream because of his awareness of human rights. After he went back to Africa as a free man, Equiano reads laws and regulations of their own country; and he is able to recognize the equal qualities of these laws and regulations. Equiano realizes that the color is not the case for freedom and that all human beings are same, and they all have privilege to have god’s “liberty” (Vassa 126). His literacy immensely helps him to understand these facts and to enjoy his freedom.

Precious Jones in Sapphire’s Push, is a young 20^th century African American woman who understands the mighty force of literacy. Precious was born to an illiterate and corrupted family. Her mother and father not only physically and mentally abused her but they also sexually abused her. As a matter of fact, she gave birth to two children of her own father. Fortunately, she does not try to commit suicide. Instead, she always fight for life. Interestingly, she “always did like school” (Precious 36). Also, Precious has a determination to overcome her difficulties, and she says, “‘I’m gonna learn, catch up, be normal, change” (Precious 5). Even though Precious was free from slavery, she was bourdoned with illiteracy and poverty. Her mother and father were ignorant people, so she always needed to run away from this house of ignorance. Precious says, “School something (this nuthin’!) School gonna help me get out dis house” (Sapphire 35). Former student Brendan Foley explains Precious’ desire:

In short, Precious expresses her desire to progress, to push beyond what traditional social system would determine as her lot in life, and instead invokes her version of “The Dream” which might be very similar to the “American Dream” yet it is uniquely her own because of her previous invisibility in the larger culture.( Brendan Foley, 2004)

Precious’ dream is to be a part of the “American Dream.” She wants to be a prosperous and a secure citizen just like the other Americans. Since Precious was born poor, she knows that the only way to achieve her goal is through education. When Mr. Wicher said she was a good student, Precious was happy; she says, “My heart is all warm – half of it at least – thinking about Mr. Wicher say I’m a good student” (16). Precious wants to learn how to read and write to get a job, but her mother was unable to understand her, so she says, “Mama wrong. I is learning. I’m gonna start going to Family Literacy class on Tuesdays. Important to read to baby after it’s born” (65). She gains power of the literacy is for herself and also for her newly born baby.

Precious wants to turn her illiterate family into a literate family. She reveals her strong determination about her future dream by questioning herself, “What I gonna be, queen of babies? No, I gonna be queen of those ABC’s – readin’ ‘n writin’. I not gonna stop going to school ‘n I not going to give Abdul up…” (75). After she is impressed with herself about her improving achievement, she cannot stop her inner joy. Precious utters loudly, “No way!’ I scream. “I’m getting my G.E.D., a job, and a place for me and Abdul, then I go to college” (120). Although she is able work as a home attendant, that job is not her real achievement. She says, “I don’t wanna be no mutherfucking home attendant!” (121). No doubt one day Precious’ and her son’s improving literacy will usher them to the right seats. Moreover, one day Precious’ son can loudly read Langston Hughes’s 1925 poem I Too:

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America. (Hughes 1605)

Precious shows Abdul the real way to be successful in the American dream. Certainly, Abdul can find strength the literacy link that his mother establishes.

Similar to the characteristics of Precious in Sapphire’s Push, Milkman’s grandfather Macon Dead and Corinthians in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon are good examples of literacy and illiteracy. In contrast to the literate Corinthians, her grandfather Macon Dead is a totally illiterate person. As a result of his illiteracy, when his daughter was born, he unknowingly chose a nasty biblical name “Pilate” for her. Furthermore, Milkman’s father Macon Dead II explains his father Macon Dead:

Papa couldn’t read, couldn’t even sign his name. Had a mark he used. They tricked him. He signed something, I don’t know what, and they told him they owned his property. He never read nothing. I tried to teach him, but he said he couldn’t remember those little marks from one day to the next. Wrote one word in his life—Pilate’s name; copied it out of the Bible. That’s what she got folded up in that earring. He should have let me teach him. Everything bad that ever happened to him happened because he couldn’t read. (Morrison 53)

Poverty, skin color, and lack of skills are the main obstacles for African Americans’ success. Here, skill is directly related to the literacy. According to the words of his own son, Macon Dead lost his fortunes because he was unable to read what he signing. Furthermore, his son says that, eventually, Macon Dead lost his life because of illiteracy. Therefore, the inability to read and write is a huge obstacle for the colored people’s dream. For this reason, Toni Sammons, a former student of 5731, clearly says, “It did not take long for Blacks to realize that literacy was the pathway to change. They understood that if they were to have a voice, they must learn to speak with the voice of the dominant culture” (Sammons 2003). Sammons’ statement draws another interesting point here; she pays her attention to the practicality of the colored people’s dream of voice and choice. According to her accurate notion, if African Americans have a dream, that dream should match the common American dream. Macon Dead had that dream, yet illiteracy changed his pathway.

However, Macon Dead’s granddaughter, Corinthians, realized literacy is the only pathway to change. Corinthians had more opportunities than the other women of her age. Morrison explains Corinthians’ advantage as, "The three years she had spent in college, a junior year in France” (Morrison 187). Compared to most of the other African women, Corinthians was a rich woman. Moreover, she was "High toned and high yellow, she believed what her mother was also convinced of: that she was a prize for a professional man of color” (Morrison 188). Corinthians is a highly literate woman and she can even work with the great white masters of literature. However, she cannot take the equal position of the white women because of her skin color. Yet, she can work for them as a maid. A student of American Multicultural Literature: Minority, Jane Ftacnik says:

Morrison plays with the idea of literacy representing power, as Corinthians is highly literate, and can read the same books as her employer . . . In Morrison's words, "It was also a pleasure and a relief to have a maid who read and who seemed to be acquainted with some of the great masters of literature. So nice to be able to give a maid a copy of Walden for Christmas rather than that dreary envelope, and to be able to say so to her friends (Morrison 190)." Literacy sharpens the line between the powerful and the powerless as Corinthians is thought of as a maid who reads classic literature. Morrison is careful to have the character of the white woman think of Corinthians as a maid, rather than a person who reads literature who happens to do housework for her. Instead of empowering Corinthians, literacy helps her maintain her status as a maid. (Jane Ftacnik 2003)

Corinthians was powerless because she was born to a black family. On the other hand, she was very powerful because of her literacy. Even though Corinthians was unable to resemble a white woman’s prominent figure in the white society, however, literacy took her into the level of the white woman’s position in her black community. As Morrison says, “She was prize of a professional man of color” (Morrison 188), and she cannot find a husband because black men are illiterate. Black men probably thought that a highly literate woman is not easy to manage just as a slave holder could not handle their literate slaves. Instead, Corinthians represents Toni Morrison, the writer of Song of Solomon. Morrison is one of the most prominent African American literary figures in the world. Dr. White said that “when I was a student, I had a chance to meet Morrison at the English Department conference hall; the hall was crowded with eminent people; when Morrison says something, Dr. White said they just agreed with her” (class lecture 2006). Literacy is the power. An African writer Para Teresa says:

. . . We were not only equal but superior to them.

That was why I studied.

If I could do it, we all could. (Teresa)

In brief, when Douglass and Equiano started to think about their freedom, the world was fed up with the slavery. There were considerable antislavery movements in every corner of the world. Yet, having freedom is not an easy task for Douglass and Equiano. They had to make some immense sacrifices for their freedom. Their skin color and poverty are the two main obstacles that prevented them from freedom. The other characters of the novels, Precious and Corinthians are free people of slavery, yet they had to struggle for their dream. However, as in all of the cases literacy is the only power that speeds up their dream for the freedom. In his introduction to The Classic Slave Narratives, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. proves this fact. He states, "In literacy lay true freedom for the black slave," (Henry ix). Henry’s statement is very accurate. Literacy is everything for African Americans.