Unlike Stowe, Douglass was an African-American slave; he himself experienced slavery since childhood and knew the pain and suffering of his fellow men. His first story after his freedom was "The Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglass," one of the most famous and influential stories in American literature. In his narrative, he portrays himself as a hero, who had the ability to read and write that inspired him in his life effort as a slave to be a free man. As Winifred Morgan points out, “Even as a child, Douglass realized that knowledge represented power. It provides access to the power of communication, and the path to long-term control of the message is through literacy.” This implies that the knowledge helps him understand the meaning of life better and makes his mind reflect on how his life is wasted by some plantation owners to get benefits without any benefit.