Gerald Graff is an accomplished English professor, writer and is well known for his teaching theories. In “Disliking Books”, Graff tells the story of how he became interested in literature yet dreaded the subject throughout his academic career. Furthermore, the narrative goes into detail on how his personal struggles with literature at a young age allowed him to develop teaching techniques far superior to his colleagues. Graff does this by using both pathos and ethos in his writing to catch the readers’ interest. The narrative begins with Graff talking about his origins and his upbringing as a middle-class Jewish boy in Chicago. He attributes his disinterest in literature and other studies to be caused by how boys were expected to behave in his neighborhood; as well a fear of being beaten up. “Literature and history had no apparent application to my experience, and any boy in my school who had cultivated them – I can’t recall one who did- would have marked himself as a sissy” (Graff 22). His enlightenment did not arrive until one of his college professors mentioned something a critic …show more content…
In addition, being a Jewish boy in ethnically diverse Chicago neighborhood during the 1940s allowed Graff to develop a more flexible way of teaching. Moreover these experiences are the foundation of some of his teaching theories in which he strives to make his teaching more relatable to his students. In the article “Helping Students Find Relevance” by Robin Roberson he states “I am convinced that relevance is one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning. I know that as a student, the content I found most relevant was the easiest to learn, so as a teacher, I believe it is my job to help students see the relevance in content they may not find inherently interesting” (Robin Roberson). This quote is the essence of what Graff is portraying in his writing and various
Gerald Graff expresses his concern in “Hidden Intellectualism” about how the education system does not accurately measure true intelligence. If the education system used each individual’s interests, Graff argues, the individual would be much more intrigued in the subject matter; therefore, increasing his or her knowledge. Throughout the article, Graff also draws on his love of sports to support his argument, saying that it includes elements of grammar, methodologies, and debate. He believes this proves that interests can replace traditional teaching. Graff contends one’s interest will create a community with others throughout the nation who share the same interests. While it is important to pursue your interests, there
According to “Hidden Intellectualism”, Gerald Graff says that “ Everyone knows some young person who is impressively “street smart” but does poor in school” ( Gerald Graff 244). He explains that to many people believe that one who is so intelligent in life cannot do well in academic work, and he or she needs spend extra time on his or her school works than things in sports. However, Graff used his own anti-intellectual experience to verify his opinion that street smarts are simply as important as school smarts, and he recommends school should take all these street smarts and apply them into good academic environment. Graff also believes we should allow students read literature or any things they first feel interested, for example “George Orwell, which is a writing on the cultural meanings of penny postcards is infinitely more
In the essay “Hidden Intellectualism” Gerald Graff expressed his views on education. He feels that teachers or professors only see traditional subjects or text as intellectually valuable even though, although as a professor himself, he disagrees with it. He feels that the spectrum should be broadened to be able to interact with the kids more and get them more interested in the reading that are taught in schools. He is speaking to teachers in an effort to get them to change from the mindset of teaching traditionally and get reading that students to relate to. He is also speaking to students to get them to feel better about not being able to relate certain readings, and to also see that not being able to relate to the readings is not a bad thing. Although Pop Culture reading is not considered as intellectual reading it should be.
The journey begins at the heart of the matter, with a street smart kid failing in school. This is done to establish some common ground with his intended audience, educators. Since Graff is an educator himself, an English professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago, he understands the frustrations of having a student “who is so intelligent about so many things in life [and yet] seems unable to apply that intelligence to academic work” (380). Furthermore, Graff blames schools for not utilizing street smarts as a tool to help improve academics; mainly due to an assumption that some subjects are more inherently intellectual than others. Graff then logically points out a lack of connection “between any text or subject and the educational depth and weight of the discussion it can generate” (381). He exemplifies this point by suggesting that any real intellectual could provoke thoughtful questions from any subject, while a buffoon can render the most robust subjects bland. Thus, he is effectively using logic and emotion to imply that educators should be able to approach any subject critically, even non-traditional subjects, lest they risk being labeled a buffoon.
Graff also gives his childhood experience as an example of himself successfully becoming more intellectual due to his passion with sports. Thence, Graff suggests schools to encourage students to exercise their personal interests in an intellectual serious way, and by doing that, it will help students to apply their unique intelligence into academic effort.
Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson." Eds. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Discovering Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997. 307-12.
Most students tend to perceive teachers as boring and ordinary, and rarely look up to them because they are seen as social outcasts. Students like Graff tend to look up to sports stars, actors, and singers. They are generally easier to connect to than teachers are. People want to be cool, not to be thought of as a know-it-all. Graff talks about how he never connected with school because being smart wasn 't cool, and how he turned to things that appear to be anti-intellectual. He says, “I was already betraying an allegiance to the
It is my belief that Gerald Graff aims to reform the way literature is taught. In many regards that is already being done in lower schools. Though, it has not been implemented as much in upper level classes of high school and college.
It was then that Graff shifted the focus of his essay to himself. It would have been easy to continue to speak about the injustice the educational system had created against those who...
“Hidden Intellectualism” written by Gerald Graff, is a compelling essay that presents the contradicting sides of “book smarts” and “street smarts” and how these terms tied in to Graff’s life growing up. Graff felt like the school was at fault that the children with more “street smarts” were marked with the reputation of being inadequate in the classroom. Instead of promoting the knowledge of dating, cars, or social cues, the educational system deemed them unnecessary. Gerald Graff thought that “street smarts” could help people with academics. In his essay, Graff confessed that despite his success as an “intellect” now, he was the exact opposite until college. Where he grew up in Chicago, Illinois, intelligence was looked down upon around peers
In “Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff, the author speaks about how schools should use students’ interests to develop their rhetorical and analytical skills. He spends a majority of his essay on telling his own experience of being sport loving and relating it to his anti-intellectual youth. He explains that through his love for sports, he developed rhetoric and began to analyze like an intellectual. Once he finishes his own story, he calls the schools to action advising them to not only allow students to use their interest as writing topics, but instead to teach the students on how to implement those compelling interests and present them in a scholarly way. In perspective, Graff’s argument becomes weak with his poor use of ethos, in which he solely focuses on his own anecdote but, through the same means he is able to build his pathos and in the last few paragraphs, with his use of logic he prevents his argument from becoming dismissible.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2005.
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.10.2/sections/sec2.3
Abcarian, Richard, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen. Literature: the Human Experience. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.
First, Graff’s idea about people can be educated without formal education. Graff trying to convince reader that person does ...