Problems Faced by Illiterates

466 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Relevance of literacy

Imagine for a minute that one day you wake from a nights sleep to find nothing as it was, you don't know where you are, the people around you, or any aspect of your life that you were so sure of the night before. Imagine the feeling of confusion and uncertainty that a situation of that sort would have. This chaos is not far from what millions of illiterates feel on a daily basis.

The phrase "illiteracy" applies to more than a simple inability to read or write. There is also "functional illiteracy." Functional illiterates can read words but they cannot comprehend their meanings, synthesize information or make decision based on what they read. Illiteracy could also be defined as restriction or confinement due to the simple fact that, that's the type of life many non-readers lead. Illiterates choices are restricted in just about every aspect of their lives from where they travel to, to what they eat to how informed they are. Kozol mentions in his story The Human cost of an Illiterate Society, that

pg. 2

"illiterates can not read the menu in a rest...

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Jonathan Kozol's The Human Cost Of An Iliterate Society

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Illiteracy is defined as, the inability to read or write. After reading Jonathan Kozol’s “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” I have never felt so sympathetic towards any group of individuals. The essay has several examples of the challenging problems illiterate individuals experience, and the effects illiteracy has on society. Illiterate individuals experience shame and humility, while being used for others’ personal gain. Furthermore, many illiterates have trouble communicating and making a living. I have to agree with Kozol’s main point; Illiteracy is an issue that should be treated as a main threat by democracy in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Like Father Like Son Analysis

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    Other People’s Words: The Cycle of Low Literacy by Victoria Purcell-Gates recounts the author’s two-year journey with an illiterate Appalachian family. Purcell-Gates works with Jenny, the mother, and her son, first grader Donny, to analyze the literacy within the household. Throughout the journey, we learn the definition and types of literacy, the influences of society and the environment, and the impacts of literacy on education from the teacher’s perspective. In order to evaluate literacy in the household, one must study multiple types, including functional, informational, and critical literacy. As the name implies, functional literacy incorporates reading and writing as tools for everyday survival. Informational literacy is used through text to communicate information to others. The highest level of literacy, critical literacy, requires critical interpretations and imaginative reflections of text. In her study, Purcell-Gates strives to teach Jenny and Donny functional literacy.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Literary Analysis

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury demonstrates why illiteracy can lead to a dystopia. On the contrary, the short story The End of the whole Mess written by Stephen King reveals why having too much literacy can be horrific to the world. Steve jobs once said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” In both the novel and the story people try to set up certain rules or are born with talent that is driven to change the world for good, nevertheless they end up in dystopias.

    Read More

  • Personal Philosophy Of Literacy

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of In Defense Of Literacy, By Wendell Berry

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “In Defense of Literacy,” Wendell Berry explains literacy is a requirement, not an embellishment. Literacy is more than the ability to just read and write; it's also the ability to understand what a person is reading and make sense in what a person is writing. While some people may think that achieving literacy requires hard work and gets little outcome, I think that literacy makes people more ambitious, confident, more attentive, and more prosperous in life than those who are not literate. Joining in on conversations and voicing ones philosophies is easier if people are literate and educated, and people feel worthy of themselves when they have the ability to do so. People are more determined in life, whether it is with their professions

    Read More

  • The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society Rhetorical Analysis

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kozol argues that the lack of education not only inhibits the lives of illiterates, but greatly affects the lives of their children as well. He states, “Illiterates cannot read the letter the children bring home from their teachers. [...] they cannot help with homework. They cannot write letters to the teacher. They are afraid to visit in the classroom. They do not want to humiliate their children or themselves” (188). Ensuring that the next generation is literate and prepared with the knowledge to function out in the world is crucial to stopping the spread of illiteracy. As the references state, illiteracy complicates matters of education for the children of illiterates, making it more difficult for them to overcome the shortcomings of their parents. Illiterates themselves also face their own struggle with education. Kozol states that “Illiterate mothers, as we shall see, already have been cheated of the power to protect their progeny against the likelihood of demolition in deficient public schools and, as a result, against the verbal servitude within which they themselves exist” (189). His statement reinforces the difficulty that illiterates face when it comes to educating their own children, and how they are completely helpless to provide any meaningful help when it comes to ensuring a proper education for both themselves and their

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society Kozol

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Johnathan Kozol. Mr. Kozol uses quotes, key points, experiences and his knowledge companied by effective forms of rhetoric throughout the essay to speak to highly educated and intelligent individuals who have to power to make a difference. He explains in detail how an illiterate society is affecting not only the illiterate’s life, but also the country’s democracy, and endangering the lives around them as well. He interviews individuals who share their experiences of fear, hopelessness, confusion and frustration when dealing with everyday life situations that most people could figure out on their own.

    Read More

  • Poverty, Racism, and Literacy

    2286 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the prevailing and traditional definition, literacy is regarded as central to helping people obtain and retain employment, which is the key to moving them from dependency toward greater self-sufficiency. This functionalist definition, espoused by many policymakers, funders, and employers, is based on the assumption that there are jobs for the poor who are able to i...

    Read More

  • Conspiracy In America Essay

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    Simon, Ruth. “Illiteracy: The Downfall of American Society.” Education Portal. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. < http://education-portal.com/articles/Illiteracy_The_Downfall_of_American_Society.html>

    Read More

  • Literate or Culturally Literate

    1187 Words  | 3 Pages

    To be successful in the world today literacy is vital. But what is the definition of Literacy? According to Merriam Webster it is “the quality or state of being literate”, but can it also be expanded and redefined as Culturally Literate “the ability to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences in the customs, values, and beliefs of one’s own culture the cultures of others? This essay will utilize the writings of Fishman, Mary Ann Zehr, and Jean Piaget to compare the definition of literacy by mainstream society to that of the Amish culture.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Literacy Narrative Essay

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up in working class family, my mom worked all the time for the living of a big family with five kids, and my dad was in re-education camp because of his association with U.S. government before 1975. My grandma was my primary guardian. “Go to study, go to read your books, read anything you like to read if you want to have a better life,” my grandma kept bouncing that phrase in my childhood. It becomes the sole rule for me to have better future. I become curious and wonder what the inside of reading and write can make my life difference. In my old days, there was no computer, no laptop, no phone…etc, to play or to spend time with, other than books. I had no other choice than read, and read and tended to dig deep in science books, math books, and chemistry books. I tended to interest in how the problem was solved. I even used my saving money to buy my own math books to read more problems and how to solve the problem. I remembered that I ended up reading the same math book as my seventh grade teacher. She used to throw the challenge questions on every quiz to pick out the brighter student. There was few students know how to solve those challenge questions. I was the one who fortunately nailed it every single time. My passion and my logic for reading and writing came to me through that experience, and also through my grandma and my mom who plant the seed in me, who want their kids to have happy and better life than they were. In my own dictionary, literacy is not just the ability to read and write, it is a strong foundation to build up the knowledge to have better life, to become who I am today.

    Read More

  • human trafficking

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    Teenage Illiteracy has a major effect in many teenagers’ lives today. Literacy is a learned skill, and illiteracy is passed down from parents who many not are able to read nor write. In America two thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. As Americans we often don’t take the time to realize that schooling at a younger age through high school will improve a child’s opportunities and chances at life. Schooling in younger ages, middle school, and high school play a major part in a child’s life as an adult and how they function.

    Read More

  • Literacy And Intellectualism In Wendell Berry's In Defense Of Literacy

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    “In Defense of Literacy,” written by Wendell Berry was the topic of this discussion in his own essay of whether or not people are really and truly educated or literate. He acknowledges this in his essay by first acknowledging that while many people do go to school and continue their education in this country, people who are supposed to be well-educated have writing skills which are really not that good.

    Read More

  • What Is Literacy Essay

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world around us is constantly changing and technology has a lot of impact on the rapid changes. This is one of the reasons why it is hard to give a specific definition of the word literacy. Literacy can be broken down into two main subcategories: literate and illiterate. One of the main discussions with this is what qualifications or qualities separate someone who is literate from someone who is illiterate. Historians have been researching literacy for the past five decades and have been trying to come up with a fixed definition of the word. To me, literacy is a very complex word as the definition has evolved over time, but in the end it is how one excels in their discourse(s), which have changed throughout the years and helped create their

    Read More

  • The Problem of Illiteracy

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    What exactly is illiteracy? Illiteracy is defined in the Webster’s dictionary as: 1) not educated; especially, not knowing how to read or write. 2) showing a lack of education --noun. a person who does not know how to read or write -- illiteracy. May-be someone can read just a little, some can make out the sounds of a word and some just cannot read at all. Illiteracy is a “loss” to those who cannot read or write. The impact of illiteracy is devastating. This problem causes other problems as listed below.

    Read More

More about Problems Faced by Illiterates

Open Document