The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society By Jonathan Kozol

Imagine not being able to read this essay. Many Americans do not posses the ability to do what you just did. In Jonathan Kozol’s essay titled, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,† he exposes the complications of being illiterate as well as how it affects a person on a social, personal, and financial level. He brings to light the troubles illiterates go through right from the beginning, and takes repeated stabs at the way they function, and how it brings extreme troubles. Kozol effectively educates and exploits the overlooked troubles of being illiterate, by providing examples of their embarrassment, using repetition emphasizing on their limitations, and making assertions to explain how they survive. Kozol strongly believes being illiterate comes with embarrassment, and he backs up his point with actual examples of people who have gone through this experience. Kozol writes, â€Å"Donny wanted me to read a book to him. I told Donny: ‘I can’t read.’ He said: ‘Mommy, you sit down. I’ll read it to you† (4). Parents are supposed to read to their children. However, due to the mother’s illiteracy, she is unable to read to her child. Instead, it is backwards in which her son is forced to read to his mother. This leads to her experience of being embarrassed. At this point she feels as though she is not able to perform the simple duties of a mother, and is therefore unable to fulfill her son wishes. Kozol then includes a story of a man who was stuck on the street and calls 911 for anShow MoreRelatedThe Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society By Jonathan Kozol946 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society† by Jonath an Kozol, implies something different. Kozol emphasizes the hardship of an illiterate, and briefly explains the importance of helping an illiterate without providing much of a solution, while Kozol’s essay was ineffective overall because of the lack of factual evidence and flawed conclusions, his strategic use of tone, repetition and rhetorical questioning provided some strength to his argument. By establishing a sympathetic tone, Kozol effectivelyRead MoreThe Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society By Jonathan Kozol1059 Words   |  5 Pages As soon as humans walked the earth, since the beginnings of time, learning was the most vital in order to survive. This was, and still is today, the most important part of adaptation, problem-solving, and creation of life itself. Without it, our society would never move forward and humanity would never advance. Undeniably, education is the start of everything in life itself meaning that it continuously surrounds every aspect of life. In both Frederick Douglass’s essay, â€Å"Learning to Read† andRead MoreJonathan Kozol The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society Analysis1009 Words   |  5 Pagesilliteracy. In this society, it is unfortunate that there are individuals who are illiterate, which ultimately affects their democratic lives. Many other citizens do not face this issue, and may not recognize the disadvantages that illiterates face. In Jonathan Kozol’s text, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,† he discusses the various issues concerned with illiteracy, one of them being how it affects democracy. Democracy is a type of government where power, that involves human rights and valuesRead MoreEssay on Jonathan Kozol The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society926 Words   |  4 Pages Knowledge is an effective factor in which human society relies on. Throughout history, those who were knowledgeable were well-respected, honored and revered. Author Jonathan Kozol writes his essay, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,† to project the importance of knowledge and to explain that without it, one can suffer disastrous repercussions. He highlights real-life examples of how people suffer as a result of chronic illiteracy, and his entire essay is an advocacy for knowledge andRead MoreThe Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society989 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society† In the essay, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society† written by Jonathan Kozol and originally published in the book, â€Å"Illiterate America†, is a bundle of examples of how people who are illiterate live every day. It showcases the hardships they go through, and how much of a problem it is. He had quotes from various interviews with people who are illiterate, and how many become distrustful of people trying to explain what the written documentRead MoreThe Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society1048 Words   |  5 PagesAre illiterates just people who exist? Do they just walk around aimlessly, never knowing what to do? â€Å"Illiterates live, in more than literal ways, an uninsured existence,† says Jonathan Kozol. In Kozol’s article, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,† he intensely describes how illiteracy can impact both the illiterate and those surrounding him. There is a tragic human cost for an illiterate society. If people a re unable to read, then what can they do? In this case, the least taken-for-grantedRead MoreProblems Faced by Illiterates Essay478 Words   |  2 Pagesfrom 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. 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Yet the government, administrations, and society maintain control through illiteracyRead MoreGeneral Education Essay1869 Words   |  8 PagesWith living costs as high as they are in this day and age, it is completely unreasonable to expect the average individual to squander already limited resources. Receiving a bachelors degree today requires an assortment of classes that often are not directly related to ones career objectives. For some, they find this to be an enjoyable adventure, broadening their knowledge and learning about new aspects of life, but for others this is just burdensome. However it is looked upon, the college curriculumRead More General Education Essay1795 Words   |  8 Pages With living costs as high as they are in this day and age, it is completely unreasonable to expect the average individual to squander already limited resources. Receiving a bachelor’s degree today requires an assortment of classes that often are not directly related to one’s career objectives. 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