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Klemser 1

Thomas Klemser
Nancy Roche
Writing 1010-018
23 September 2014
Literacy Is More Then Just Reading And Writing
Literacy as I took it from the text is the ability to process what information you have read
as well as being able to view it in many different aspects to account for all the readers opinions
about the topic. This brings us to one of Gees big ideas that is, A text, whether written on paper, or on the soul (Plato), or on the world (Freire), is a loaded weapon. The person, the educator, who hands over the gun, hands over the bullets (the perspective), and must own up to the
consequences. There is no way out of having an opinion, and ideology, and a strong one, as did
Plato, as did Freire. Literacy education is not for the timid (Gee 61). What is being said is that
when from authors, they will try to persuade you into thinking you understand, but quite often
the authors writing can not defend itself. Once the reader gets their hands on it, there will be
many different interpretations that the author must realize. This forms a sense of power over literacy in the writers hands and he who is the author can use it to establish power. The way the
author perceives situations is not always identical to the reader.
Gee believes that works of writing are controlled by people who hold power and authority. If this is the case then have you ever questioned works such as the Bible? In many cases, authors are reluctant to publish their work because they are not sure if there followers or readers
will interpret the information as the author wants. My analysis is proven true by the quote later in
Gees article that says, Catholic-dominated countries were much more reluctant to put the Bible
and other sacred texts into the hands of the people, for fear they would not interpret them correct-

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ly (Gee 54). What is happening here is the Church is controlling the biblical interpretations
(powerful text) and don't let the people interpret the bible for themselves, because they are afraid
that it will be taken in a different way then how the church wants them to see it.
Literacy as Gee describes it does not only teach you reading and writing but more importantly to inform you about how power and control over literary text which enforces classism
and educational distinctions. This is shown in the article when it says, Jeannie Oakes found that
a students race, class, or family-based access to knowledge about college and career routes had
more to do with what track the student ended up in than did inherited intelligence or actual potential (Gee qtd Oakes 56). What this quote means is someones background and how they are
raised determines where they will end up instead of intelligence that is passed down from your
parents and your self potential.
When looking at the article as a whole what Gee mainly gets across is that the literacy
myth is a method of classism and a way to establish power. This was shown in the article when
Gee talked about Plato and how he believes that literacy is interpreted with those in power.
What the reader really gets out of it is that writing cannot defend itself and generates many different opinions by the many readers of it. This is why in many cases such as the religious one
within the text, that the writer of the text is reluctant to hand over the text to the general public
because of what opinions and philosophical ideas that can be formulated from people that the
writer is responsible for. This shows how people of higher power control literacy and determine
what they want us to see and not see.

Works Cited

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Gee, James Paul. Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses. 4th
ed. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.

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