In this chapter Frederick Douglass use basic skills like reading and writing to tell us how he learned some other things or skills. The important is what he gains from learning these basics skills He shows us that he compelled to resort to various stratagems. These stratagems are ways to outwit someone. He used them to learn how to complete and find out all the disadvantages of life and to overcome them.
"Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave" is a personal story in which the author points out educating himself.
The process of education is important due to his achievements and success in outwitting his owners and other people.
He uses two familiar things as a metaphor for goals in learning. His writing style is clear, precise and correct in explaining the process of learning basics skills. He does not use many adverbs or adjectives but emphasizes the important things.
