In the excerpt, ‘learning to read and write’, from his the narrative of the life of frederick douglass: an american slave (1841), douglass links his ruthless and cunning ambition to learn reading and writing directly with becoming and remaining free. indeed, literacy to him = liberation. what does he mean by this? how can utilizing a book and a pencil get you out of jail, for instance? get you out of your parents’ house? get you out of anywhere or anything, so that you are free from some form of captivity?