My Struggle for An Education by Booker T. Washington (Summary & Analysis)

 

My Struggle for An Education

by Booker T. Washington

(Summary & Analysis)

  

Brooker T. Washington (1856-1915) was one of the best-known black American educators and racial leaders. He founded the Tuskegee Institute for black students. He did a great deal for the upliftment of the blacks, by helping them realize the value of education. He has also written a lot on the issue of slavery. His autobiographical works are : The Story of My Life and Work, Up from Slavery, My Larger Education.

This is an autographical story of Brooker T. Washington. In it, he presents an account of a significant event of his life. He used to work in a coal mine, where he happened to know about a very good school in Virginia. This school was far better than the one, in his own town. The name of this school was the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia. Hearing, that these people appreciate it so much, he at once made up his mind to go to that school although he knew nothing about its location.

In the autumn of 1872, with a reluctant permission from his mother, he started for Hampton with very little money and a small bag with few clothes. As his mother was very ill, the parting became very sad. He walked and begged rides and in a number of days reached a large city, Richmond about eighty-two miles away from Hampton. He was completely out of money, hungry, exhausted but not discouraged. Having no place to go he crept under a raised platform on a pavement.

Next day he got-up refreshed but hungry and started to look for some work as he was very hungry. He saw a cargo ship unloading pig-iron. The kindhearted captain of the ship gave him work and he finally earned his breakfast for the day. Due to his good work the captain asked him to continue work.

He still slept under the sidewalk and finally managed to save money to reach Hampton. The sight of the school building seemed to him a reward for the hardship he faced. But here he could not make a favourable impression on his teacher, as he had been without proper food, rest, bath and change of clothing. The teacher did not refuse admittance neither did she decide in favour. She kept giving admission to other students which troubled him all the more. He desperately wanted a chance to prove his worth and he got it when the teacher finally asked him to clean the recitation room. He swept and dusted the room several times as he knew that his future depended upon it. The teacher came and inspected the room minutely and could not find a bit of dirt. She finally admitted him to the school. He was extremely happy and all through his life considered the cleaning of that room the best examination he ever passed.

The works of Booker T. Washington are well crafted. One of his great works in autobiography include the story of "my struggle for an education". The story focuses on many themes like slavery and education.

The writer has beautified the text throughout just by the way of talking about the concept of education, in a way which indicates how much he revered it. The perspective was drawn, that education was seen as a way of escaping other hardships of life. One such analysis was calculated, when education was used a factor to measure, whether a person is narrow in his interests and outlook in life or is more experienced and has a wider span of thinking.

The issues of education were also highlighted and he did this by several quotes in the book about facing problems with the education system, because people give in to the tradition of doing the same things that have been done before, instead of taking the other route.