In the first paragraph, Douglass writes that he does not want to reveal the names of the white boys who taught him to read, because “it is an almost unpardonable offence.” What personal comment does Douglass add to this statement? What does he later come to realize when he reads one of Sheridan’s speeches in “The Columbian Orator,” and what distinctions does he make between these ideas?

Answers with Explanations:

1. What personal comment does Douglass add to this statement?

Douglass added that he wanted to be set free and even asserted that he also have the right to be free just like all the others were.

Explanation: Douglass mentioned that if he were to reveal the names of the white boys, it will cause embarrassment to the boys because they were not allowed to teach the slaves. He expressed his personal comment on this when he talked to the white boys about how unfair it was that he didn't have the right to be free such as they were.

2. What does he later come to realize when he reads one of Sheridan's speeches in "The Columbian Orator," and what distinctions does he make between these ideas?

He later came to realize that "learning to read was a curse" because it taught him many things such as allowing him to see how bad his condition was as a slave and it made him angry about his enslavers.

Explanation: Reading Sheridan's speeches opened truth before Douglass' eyes but it also caused pain after pain about his condition as a slave. He considers his enslavers as the most wicked of all men who robbed them of their homes and freedom.