In our class, Survey of American Literature, we have read and analyzed the classic American works that have influenced and in some cases ingrained themselves into our country's identity and belief system. Among those studied has been Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays, The American Scholar and Self -Reliance, and Frederick Douglass' Narrative. Each of these covers a vast amount of subjects that could be discussed, but one that proves most compelling is the …showed first 75 words of 1153 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1153 total…way to prompt our understanding of those inner truths and convince us to express them. Douglass used education for survival and a small ray of hope that he would not remain a slave forever. But what is true of all these men is that education was used to better themselves, they're understanding of the world around them, and to then educate others through their literary works. To educate the self is to empower the self.