The American Dream

Does being American mean that you’re an American citizen, or does it mean that you have the same rights and decisions as someone who is a successful American citizen? These decisions include choices you make in order to better yourself in life, whether it has to do with your choice in career, or what you want to do in life. Making decisions, and having choices comes with freedom, as a person, and that reflects on being an American everywhere in the world, even though you’ve never been in America. To be an American means that you have the freedom, and rights to do what you want, be who you are, and be/ become who you want. This right of having the freedom to do what you want, can be elaborated by someone’s life chances.

Imagine waking up to an unfamiliar world. A world that only may seem familiar due to years spent breathing, but not living. In this unfamiliar world, one can only imagine the panic and frustrations illiterates face each day as they coexist. An expert on this issue, Jonathan Kozol, wrote a book that deals with his theories of illiterates in America. He mentions how democracy is sacrificed from lack of acknowledgement of this issue. While focusing on chapter four in his novel, Kozol highlights real life hardships for illiterates and defends that their freedoms are nonexistent. In Jonathan Kozol’s essay, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”, he presents the major costs and dangers from illiterates that impact our society as a whole and that our nation fails to address.

Writer Jonathan Kozol, in the essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” suggests that the alarming rates of illiteracy in the U.S. are corroding the fundamentals of democracy, reinforcing the structures of inequality that created the problem to begin with. His argument draws on a range of evidence and support from multiple sources such as philosophers and historical figures, anecdotes, and first-person accounts. Kozol’s purpose is to not simply illustrate the various personal tragedies that people with underdeveloped reading skills face, but to tell his audience that such tragedies when you add them up constitute a threat to the basic values that maintain the nation as a whole.

In “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”, a chapter from book called Illiterate America (1985), the author Jonathan Kozol highlights that society cannot continue to sustain if we all neglect 60 million Americans who suffer from illiteracy. Kozol develops his claim by utilizing logos and pathos on describing the hardships that illiterates experience on a daily basis including their political rights. His purpose is to inform non-illiterates about the kind of life that illiterates go through, in order to bring the awareness on illiteracy. Kozol establishes sympathy relationship towards illiteracy and intended audience are two types of non-illiterate Americans who are not aware on suffering of illiterates and who blames illiterates without

Being without the ability to read brings along many different problems. One of the most important problems is that dealing with economics. In his article to the “Vocal Point”, Mcmaster emphasizes that how illiteracy affects the nation’s economy by stating that,

Democracy has always been threatened by illiteracy. There are a few ways in which democracy has been threatened by illiteracy. These ways are, people forging a vote, not understanding instructions on medication, and traveling out to the streets. These three things are a huge problem for illiterates. In order to prevent illiteracy one must open themselves to the world and learn about democracy. As James Madison stated, “A people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives” (Kozol 114).

Kozol argues that, “The number of illiterate adults exceeds by 16 million the entire vote cast for the winner in the 1980 presidential contest. Even if one third of all illiterates could vote in their self-interest, Ronald Reagan would not likely have been chosen president”(Kozol 149). When illiterate people choose a political figure to represent their views they do not know they are affecting themselves, as well as everyone else in the united states. Their vote impacts the United States because it determines who will make the important decisions, and create new policies. To be represented in what goes on in the surrounding community is a crucial aspect in democracy for illiterate people.

In the essay, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” written by Jonathan Kozol and originally published in the book, “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 document or form says, for they can never know if they are telling the truth. Kozol heavily uses rhetorical strategies, mostly pathos related, to showcase these struggles and make us take notice of this problem. Overall, he uses the strategies of logos, ethos, and pathos to push his point across.

As I come home one afternoon from school, I see my mother with her brows pressed firmly against each other. I cautiously approach her because I assume she’s upset. The closer I get, the easier I can analyze her face; she abruptly hands me a letter and commands me to read it for her. I read thoroughly and begin to translate the information from english to spanish. The letter came from the IRS; informing her about a balance due next week. She, with a softer look thanked me. Her frustrated attitude quickly disappeared. But, I ask myself today, what if I wasn’t there? What if my mother would 've just put the letter aside due to her incapacity to understand, consequently missing the due date? The author of “Illiterate America”, Jonathan Kozol expresses his concern on the issue of illiteracy in America. Although his book was published in 1985, illiteracy and the examples Kozol provided in his writing remains relevant to the world we live in today. Kozol’s purpose in writing this book was to bring awareness and expose the flaws America purposely overlooks. In efforts to bring his readers out of their “comfort zones”, Kozol successfully uses the strategies of allusion, analogy, and anecdote.

Statistically, based on reports from 2003, 99% of the total population ages 15 and over can read and write (CIA Library). Thus, one can conclude illiteracy is not a crisis. However, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Jonathan 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.

The "American Dream" is an idea that has always been different throughouttime. It changes in diverse forms and in the end involves success. The "American Dream" was a phrase used by the American people and peoplewanting to become American. It was always the idea that you can become a success. This is true in a partial way, but the true "American Dream" is that with somework and determination anyone can build themselves up in the economic classsystem.

In this article, ‘The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society’ by Jonathan Kozol. The author mentions that illiteracy in the United States has undermined its democracy. He explains the negative aspects that illiterate people have. He demands that since 60 million people in the U.S. are illiterate, about one third of the illiteracy could vote, and that is U.S. government is “the government is neither of, nor for, nor by, the people,” which is very basic meaning of democracy in the United States; whether government in U.S. they support this one third of illiterate when other two thirds of privilaged literate people advantage from all different kinds of chance informed from the ability to read the words. Then, he begins with various examples of problem

In Jonathon Kozol’s essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” he brings to light the negative effects of people in the United States who are illiterate. Kozol mentions one founding father, James Madison, who recognized the dangers illiteracy would pose on the U.S.

In this day and age it seems unfathomable that there are so many people that cannot pick up a cereal box and read its contents, or read the operating manual of a toaster oven. Why is it that so many Americans cannot fill out a simple employment application or write a check? Where is the reasonable judgment in electing a President or passing a proposition? Why is it that in a country like America, with free education, are there still many people unable to read, write, or think critically? There may be a slew of reasons for this epidemic of uneducated Americans across this nation based on both facts and opinion. In my opinion, a few contributing factors may be poverty, financial deficit within communities, and government and political contribution.

The article, “Illiteracy Causes More Problems than First Thought” is an opinionated article that points out the problems of being illiterate. She puts assumptions on how illiterate Americans have a tough time living their life although she does not give any proof.