Douglass’ first act of perseverance and determination was learning how to read and write even though it was considered “unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read” (20). After being forbidden to learn how to read and write by Mr. Auld, Douglass did not let it stop him, his drive to learn became even more powerful than ever. Douglass’ desire to learn was so strong that he would get lessons from poor little white boys by giving them bread while they gave him “the more valuable bread of knowledge” (23). Learning how to read and write was not Douglass’ only time of being determined. Douglass has constantly been treated poorly and brought down by his slaveholders, for example Mr.Covey, and people like him increased his perseverance for