The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society By Johnathan Kozol...

Taking things for granted is a very common practice in society, the ability to appreciate the smaller things in life is a trait not commonly found in many. Be it having the ability to attend a university, or having the proper use of all of one’s limbs, many don’t fully understand and appreciate the gifts they have. In his work, The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society, Johnathan Kozol relates this idea to the importance of literacy, and the implications and struggles that are imposed on society and those who lack it. Instead of diving straight into a depiction of the hellish existence that is an illiterate lifestyle, Kozol quotes Founding Father James Madison, saying that â€Å"A people who mean to be their own governors†¦ must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both† (Madison 114). A country under the rule by the pe ople who can’t go as far to even rule the information presented to themselves seems much more Anarchic than Democratic. By quoting James Madison, Kozol presents his idea that education in the written word is integral to the foundations of a prosperous and free society, and that this was even recognized by the Founding Fathers. Following his assertion that literacy is key to an effective Democracy wherein policy and leaders are elected by an educated populace, Kozol gives a depiction of a Democracy wherein herd mentality isShow MoreRelatedThe 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 hi m. There is a tragic human cost for an illiterate society. If people are unable to read, then what can they do? In this case, the least taken-for-granted