Chandler 1

Jake Chandler
Nancy Roche

Writing 1010-013
December 9, 2014
A Loaded Gun

Literacy is a major part in achieving the civilization we've achieved today. James Gee
stated that "Language makes us human, but literacy makes us civilized." (Gee 47) This is a
statement that rings true throughout James Gee's essay on the literacy myth and other relevant
topics. Gee articulates that literacy took us from a primitive state and brought us logical and
other ways of thinking, but literacy in itself, is somewhat hollow. James Gee hates the literacy
myth because it entails that literacy, in any certain discourse, brings political power over those
who are illiterate in that discourse.
James Gee writes that Plato saw writing as an empty form of speech. "Once something is
written it cannot function on its own" (Gee 48) That is how Gee see's Plato's mindset, Gee
disagrees with this. Gee specifies that he believes a reader can freely interpret pieces of
literature. Writing will always be interpreted in many right and wrong ways, Gee believes this
can take power away from writing. If someone who was illiterate in a discourse tried to interpret
a paper on that discourse then surely they would feel in superior to the author, as well as the
author feeling superior, it's easy to see in this case how literacy brings power.
Writing can only repeat itself. If you read a text and end up with a question,
you'll have to find the answer elsewhere. Gee used eighteenth century Catholic and Protestant
countries as a real life example by speaking on how "Catholic dominated countries were much
less willing than the countries dominated by Protestants to put the sacred text in the hands of

Chandler 2
people due to fear they'd misinterpret it." (Gee 54) Gee makes another good point in saying that
writing falls when it's on its own, without an author backing up and clarifying writing is bound
to be misconstrued. If a paper is read and the reader is illiterate in the subject's discourse, then
the words are rendered useless.
Literacy has an endless amount of capabilities. Gee argues that, "Given literature, the
lower class will accept the values held by those in the middle class and in turn, seek to behave in
a manner more like the middle class." He then goes on to speak on how the contrast between the
literate and nonliterate masses has become a "highly stratified social ranking based not on
literacy per se, but on the degree to which one controls a certain type of school-based literacy."
(Gee 58) Those literate in certain subjects seem to have an advantage over those who are not,
this can easily be misconstrued and having more/less power.
A text is a loaded weapon. When an author writes anything, he or she gives up their
opinion and it is then forced to hold its own. Gee's essay shows that even though literacy is often
seen paired with, in his words, A higher sense of authority or intelligence" it must come with
drive or passion. Literacy itself isn't so important but it's how we choose to enable it daily.

Gee, James. "The Literacy Myth and the History of Literacy." n/a. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. 47-62. Print.