Final answer:
Mr. Auld's theory was that teaching slaves to read and write would make them unmanageable and unfit for slavery, indicating the fear among slaveholders that education could empower slaves towards freedom. Frederick Douglass used this oppressive belief as motivation to learn to read and write, which served as a form of resistance and a step towards liberty.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the historical context of slavery, Mr. Auld's theory that teaching slaves to read and write would make them unmanageable and unfit for slavery is an illustration of the oppressive mechanisms used by slaveholders. As depicted by Frederick Douglass, himself once an enslaved person, literacy was considered dangerous to the institution of slavery because it empowered slaves with knowledge and the prospect of freedom. Auld's remarks encapsulate the prevailing anxiety among slaveholders that education would lead to discontentment and an unquenchable desire for liberty among the enslaved, thereby posing a threat to their control.
Despite the obstacles, Douglass and other enslaved individuals sought literacy fervently. The elusive pursuit of reading and writing skills ultimately became a means to subvert the oppressive system. This internalized resistance and pursuit of literacy created a 'hidden passage' within the slave community, enabling slaves to access education, thus significantly altering their circumstances and aiding their fight against systemic racism.