Literacy

            I feel like answering the first prompt is cliché, but it is one of the two prompts that I actually find interesting and would genuinely wish to respond to. I am not going to define literacy through a dictionary definition because my peers already have done so and I know all of you can read. The definition of literacy extends past reading and writing. It also exists on many metaphorical levels. Literacy is linked to self worth and the ability to identify symbolism in literature and the world.

            Even though this part of my answer does not directly interact with the text, it is still a matter of importance to me in regards to literacy. I believe literacy is a facet of self worth and power. Historically, populations have been suppressed by being kept uneducated and illiterate. The inability to read and write not only keeps subdued groups of people from communicating amongst themselves, but it also is a form of breaking their spirit. Reading and writing is an art that was once a privilege and a tool for the retention of power but is now a necessity and vital part of human life.

            A different form of literacy, the metaphorical kind, exists in the examination of literature. Each chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor is an example of this concept. Only "literate" individuals are able to make connections between events like intense rain driving plot action or how even the most unlikely people can be "Christlike figures." Take June Kashpaw from Love Medicine for example. Even though she is an "alcoholic, essentially a prostitute, and almost entirely selfish," she can still be interpreted as Christlike. Metaphorical literacy allows readers to delve into a text and experience much more than simply reading the words on a page.