What is the value of an education?

In Gary Paulsen's book Nightjohn, the main character, Nightjohn, understands the value of education. Set in the 1850's, slaves were not allowed to educate themselves. Nightjohn successfully escaped slavery only to willingly return into slavery to teach slaves, and in this book 12-year-old Sarny, to read and write. Three values of education are: education created an awareness of our world around us, education is the first step to freedom, and the joy and happiness of learning.

First, education creates an awareness of our world around us. For Sarny, it created an awareness of the written word, and her ability to learn to read and write. Sarny reaches a very important part in her education when she realizes she can use other letters to make other words. She is starting to think for herself.

Second, education is the first step to freedom. Whites did not allow slaves to educate themselves. Education was a way slaves would have been equal to the white man. Even more threatening than the slaves learning to read and write was the passing of ideas between the slaves. Education taught slaves their rights and how to stand up for them.

Third, there is a joy and happiness of learning. Sarny is so happy she can write a word, she wrote it over and over again. She feels smart and is proud of it. Even when her happiness creates great suffering for Nightjohn, Nightjohn does not stop teaching Sarny, and Sarny does not stop feeling good about learning.

Education is a great commodity to have. It opens our minds and fills us with new ideas. It makes us happy. It frees us from being manipulated by others, frees us to stand up for our rights, and frees us to follow our dreams.