Main Idea 1:
- Douglass challenges boys to writing contests and loses on purpose.
- As the carpenters in the shipyard work, Douglass asks them questions about letters to help him learn their meaning.
Both of these were creative ideas that helped him learn.
Main Idea 2:
- Douglass nearly loses an eye because of a severe beating.
- When he is caught teaching other black people to read, Douglass is sent to a slave breaker.
Both of these were examples of him suffering because of this learning.