MY STRUGGLE FOR AN EDUCATION

 Lesson-1 

 My Struggle For An Education

                                     -Brooker T. Washington

           One day, while at work in the coal mine, I happened to overhear two miners talking about a great school for colored people some where in Virginia. This      was the first time that I had ever heard anything about any kind of school or college that was more pretentious than the little colored school in our town. As      they went on describing the school, it seemed to me that it must be the greatest place on earth. Not even Heaven presented more attractions for me at that      time than did the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia, about which these men were talking. I resolved at once to go to that school, although I      had no idea where it was, or how many miles away, or how I was going to reach it. I was on fire constantly with one ambition, and that was to go to Hampton.      This thought was with me day and night.

               In the fall of 1872, I determined to make an effort to get there. My mother was troubled with a grave fear that I was starting out on a, "wild-goose-chase."      At any rate , I got only a half-hearted consent from her that I might start. I had very little money with which to buy clothes and pay my travelling expenses. My brother John helped me all that he could; but, of course, that was not a great deal.

               Finally, the great day came, and I started for Hampton. I had only a small cheap satchel that contained the few articles of clothing I could get. My mother      at the time was rather weak and broken in health. I hardly expected to see her again, and thus our parting was all the more sad. She, however, was very brave      through it all.

               The distance from Malden to Hampton is about five hundred miles. By walking, begging rides both in wagons and in the cars, in some way, after a      number of days, I reached the city of Richmond, Virginia, about eighty-two miles from Hampton. When I reached there, tired, hungry and dirty, it was late in      the night.

               I had never been in a large city, and this rather added to my misery. When I reached Richmond. I was completely out of money. I had not a single      acquaintance in the place; and, being unused to city ways, I did not know where to go, I asked at several places for lodging but they all wanted money, and      that was what I did not have. Knowing nothing else better to do, I walked the streets.

               I must have walked the streets till after midnight. At last I became so exhausted that I could walk no longer. I was tired, I was hungry, I was everything but      discouraged. Just about the time when I reached extreme physical exhaustion, I came upon a portion of a street where the board sidewalk was considerably      elevated.sI waited for a few minutes till I was sure that no passer-by could see me, and then crept under the sidewalk and lay for the night on the ground, with      my satchel of clothing for a pillow. Nearly all night I could hear the tramp of feet over my head.

               The next morning I found myself somewhat refreshed. But I was extremely hungry. As soon as it became light enough for me to see my surroundings, I      noticed that I was near a large ship. It seemed to be unloading a cargo of pig-iron. I went at once to the vessel and asked the captain to permit me to help      unload the vessel in order to get money for food. The captain, a white man, who seemed to be kind hearted, consented. I worked long enough to earn money      for my breakfast; and it seems to me as I remember it now, to have been about the best breakfast that I have ever eaten.

               My work pleased the captain so well that he told me that I could continue working for a small amount per day. This I was very glad to do. I continued      working on this vessel for a number of days. After buying food with my small wages there was not much left to pay my way to Hampton. In order to economize      in every way possible, I continued to sleep under the sidewalk.

               When I had saved enough money with which to reach Hampton, I thanked the captain of the vessel for his kindness, and started again. Without any      unusual occurrence I reached Hampton, with a surplus of exactly fifty cents with which to begin my education. The first sight of the large, three-story brick      school building seemed to have rewarded me for all that I had undergone in order to reach the place. The sight of it seemed to give me new life.

               As soon as possible after reaching the grounds of the Hampton Institute, I presented myself before the head teacher for assignment to a class. Having      been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not, of course, make a very favourable impression upon her. I could see at once that      there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student. For some time she did not refuse to admit me, neither did she decide in my      favour. I continued to linger about her, and to impress her in all the ways I could with my worthiness. In the meantime I saw her admitting other students, and      that added greatly to my discomfort. I felt deep down in my heart, that I could do as well as they, if I could only get a chance to show what was in me.

               After some hours had passed, the head teacher said to me, "The adjoining recitation room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it."

               It occurred to me at once that here was my chance. Never did I receive an order with more delight.

               I swept the recitation room three times, than I got a dusting cloth, and I dusted it four times. All the woodwork around the walls, every bench , table, and      desk, I went over four times with my dusting cloth. Besides, every piece of furniture had been moved and every closet and corner in the room had been      thoroughly cleaned. I had the feeling that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room.      When I was through I reported to the head teacher. She was a "Yankee" woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the      floor and closets; then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls and over the table and benches. When she was unable to      find one bit of dirt on the floor or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, "I guess you will do to enter this institution."

             

 Short Answers 

Q1. How did the author (Broker T. Washington) carry out the work assigned to him?

 Ans. The author (Mr. Brooker T. Washington) swept the recitation room three times. Then he took a dusting cloth and dusted the room four times. Every piece of furniture was moved and every closet and corner in the room was thoroughly cleaned. In this way he carried out the work assigned to him.

 Q2. How and when did Brooker T. Washington reach Richmond?

 Ans. Mr. T. Washington covered some distance by walking on foot. He got place in wagons. He requested people to give him lift in cars. Thus he reached Richmond tried, dirty, hungry and penniless. 

Q3. Where was the school for the coloured people situated and what was its full name ?

 Ans. The author had heard of a great school for the coloured people. It was situated at Hampton in Virginia state of the U.S.A. Its full name was Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. 

Q4. What inspired Washington to go to Hampton Institute?

 Ans. Washington heard some labourers in the coal mine talking about a great school for the coloured people. So he decided to go to Hampton Institute. 

Q5. What exactly was his college examination and why? 

Ans. The sweeping of the room was like a college examination for the author. It was so because his admission depended on it. When he swept the room well, he was admitted. 

Q6. ‘Never did I receive an order with more delight.’ Which order Brooker T. Washington is referring to ? 

Ans. The head teacher said to Washington, “The adjoining recitation room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it”. This is the order which Washington is referring to. He recived this order with the greatest delight. 

Q7. What did Brooker T. Washington do to save money?

 Ans. Brooker T. Washington had continued to pass the night under the sidewalk as nobody was ready to give him place to pass the night without payment. In this way he saved the money. 

Q8. What message do you get from the lesson ‘ My Struggle for an Education”? 

Ans. The lesson ‘My Struggle for an Education’ teaches us that poverty is no bar to success. It shows that nothing is impossible in the world. With determination and efforts we can achieve success in life. 

Q9. How did the teacher test the suitability of Brooker to admit him as a student ?

Ans. The teacher asked Brooker to sweep the adjoining recitation room as she was reluctant to admit him as a student.

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