With the upcoming election and the theme of our current reading, the struggle between knowledge and ignorance has been much on my mind. Who determines what is right or wrong for you? Are you told what is right or wrong or do you seek understanding for yourself and make a decision based on all the available evidence? Even if you do go out and seek to know, where are you getting your information? Is it a creditable source? In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, Frederick Douglas uses knowledge to attract attention to the plight of the black slave in America. This is a knowledge that he was denied because of its power. One could argue that Fredrick Douglas's story would've gone very different had he not had the opportunity to acquire the tools of expression necessary to communicate accurately the conditions under which he was raised. His graphic depictions of the way the children were fed and they savagery with which he and his peers were beaten affect the reader of his story in profound ways. By having the ability to convey such strong imagery, Frederick Douglas is able make everything very real for the reader. It is hard not to feel the emotion when he says "the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute.". The power of the language he uses demands the attention of more than the mind. Frederick Douglas was successful because his writings demand the attention of the heart. Few things are more powerful than human compassion.