The Importance of Literacy

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Is it important to be a literate person in today’s society? The ability to function well depends on whether or not a person is literate and can comprehend what is going on around them. If a person doesn’t have the basic ability to read, they will feel the stress and dependency on others because of their illiteracy. Illiteracy is a big problem because without the knowledge of reading, illiterate people can’t perform daily tasks and responsibilities in daily life. When all it would take is a mere two minutes out of your day, don’t you think illiteracy can be helped or even extinguished?

In today’s society illiterate people are looked at as “half-citizens” (Kozol 190). They are dependent on literate people to function daily. Think about all the things that must be read on a daily basis. An illiterate person would have to ask for help every time they came across something that was important and that they needed to understand in order to move on with their day. “Whether in perusal of a menu, selection of highways, purchase of groceries, or determination of affordable enjoyment, ...

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