Social justice is a very popular topic when it comes to Douglas and Freire's pieces. Fredrick Douglas was a slave in the 1800s who was fortunate enough to learn the ability to read and write. However, slaves during this time were afraid to learn to read and write as they feared the unknown consequences. Douglas found himself regretting having learned to read and write and even said, "I often found myself regretting my very existence and wishing to die." (Douglas pg. 27) His people thought he wanted to take them and did not consult with him. Only Douglas knew what his circumstances were during his time as a slave. Freire addresses the problems of the community's education system. Students never speak or participate. There is a banking system that Freire talks about that considers men to be adaptable and manageable beings. Freire even says: “The more students work to store the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness that would result from their intervention in the world as world transformers.” His concept of education is that teachers in the community must make students' minds more active. Fredrick Douglas and Paulo Freire have very different opinions on the social justice behind learning to read, however, their arguments are also very similar to each other. In 1800, Fredrick Douglas was a slave in Baltimore, Maryland. He was taught to read and write by his teacher's lover; Sofia Auld. At first Sophia was perfectly okay with giving Douglas reading and writing lessons. However, one day Hugh Auld told Sophia that he did not want her to give Douglas any more lessons. Douglas was devastated and still wanted to learn more about reading and writing. One day Douglas meets some white boys. Douglas talks about how people who refuse to know their situation don't want to face their oppression. However, Freire says almost the same thing, only that students believe they know everything from the whole idea of ​​the banking concept. Another similarity that both of these pieces have is the value of education in society. Douglas talks about the educational perspective from his point of view in the 19th century, very different from today, but still a topic of discussion. People should want to learn to read and better understand their unfortunate circumstances. However, Freire's view is from the late 1900s, therefore more recent than Douglas's. Freire talks about how teachers need to change their teaching style in order for students to become more active in the classroom. However, these pieces can be very different based on the social problem addressed in both articles. Douglas addresses the issue of race, as Douglas is African he could not learn to read and write unless the lessons were taught in secret. When Douglas learned to read and write he tried to teach his people but they refused so he lost trust in everyone. Freire talks about the problem in classrooms, how teachers need to make students more active to help them feel the need to be incomplete unless they are