A theme shared by The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas and the article titled “Malala Yousafazi: The Girl’s Hero” is the idea that knowledge is the path to freedom. In the novel Frederick accidently learns the reason why slave owners have been depriving their slaves from their knowledge and education. Douglas learns the truth from his owner at the time, Hugh Auld, when he forbids his wife to teach him how to read and write because, “Learning would spoil” (Douglass 29) any and all slaves. Of course this would “forever unfit [Frederick] to be a slave” (Douglass 29) and become “unmanageable and of no value to his master” (Douglass 29) by resisting and fighting the urge of slavery it would also “make[Douglas] discontented and unhappy” (Douglass 29) with knowing the…show more content… Although, they may want justice they cannot gain in without great danger. Similarly, the article published by “Glamour” discusses the challenges Malala Yousafazi went through in order to gain women their education. Just how the slave owners feared for their slaves to gain their education and fight, Malala’s “extremists showed what they feared most: a girl with a book” (Leive 1) knowing they’re capable of something greater. The Taliban just wanted the women to be enclosed in their house to do the “jobs of a woman.” (Leive 1) Yet, she is rebelling against that notion and is striving to give children all over the world their “education that is their birth right.” (Leive 1) Since education gives “one child, one teacher, one pen, and one book the [power to] change the world.” (Leive 1) Knowledge is capable of giving us the courage to fight for our freedom to do as we please in this world. The article and the autobiography both share the idea that in order to take our path to freedom we need the capabilities to take us there which in their case is
