In the allegory they make a big deal about the fact that by going out into the world, the prisoner now knows what they are missing by being in the dark cave. He has seen more than the shadows and so he pities their situation. However, when he goes back to the cave he frustratingly can't do anything to let them know about what they aren't seeing. All they know is the shadows and so the ridicule him for going out. He has all this information about the outside world but he can't share it without consequence. The same happened to Frederick Douglas in Learning to Read and Write. Once he could read the stories of others putting his feelings into words and giving his opinions about slavery a voice he was energized. This made him frustrated because he understood all these opinions and rights he thought he should have but it was dangerous, and probably fatal, to even voice them. His grasp over why he wasn't given freedom put him miles ahead the other slaves.
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