The reading of thesedocuments enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet thearguments brought forward to sustain slavery; but while theyrelieved me of one difficulty, they brought on another evenmore painful than the one of which I was relieved. The moreI read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. Icould regard them in no other light than a band of successfulrobbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, andstolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced usto slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as well as themost wicked of men. As I read and contemplated the subject, behold! that very discontentment which Master Hugh hadpredicted would follow my learning to read had already come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish. As Iwrithed under it, I would at times feel that learning to readhad been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me aview of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder uponwhich to get out. What did Douglass believe his ability to read had caused? What evidence shows why he felt that way?