Journal #10

Frances E.W. Harpers poems, "Learning to Read," provided me with insight on reading within the African American/ slave community. From the context of the poem, Harper reflects the struggles of learning during a time of great divide. African Americans wanted to learn to read but the whites feared what might become of it. The perception of slaves by white slave owners was so twisted that they believed reading would unite the slaves and cause a rebellion. In the second stanza of the poem" Harper writes "Our master always tried to hide book learning from our eyes; knowledge didn't agree with slavery-'twould make us all the wise." This stanza clearly reflects the ideology of white slave owners during the time and shows the fear they had in watching slaves learn to read. This poem also reflects a sign of hope. By the end of the poem the narrator has learned to read because she constantly and passionately wanted to learn to read and now that she can read she "felt as independent as the queen upon her throne."Regardless of the circumstances she taught her self to read, she did not let her masters or the "rebels" bring her down and she was resilient in a time of struggle.