WA1

Literary Theory

Literacy, when broken down and simplified to its most basic form, is the ability to read and write. It is believable, while in this overly simplistic configuration, that most scholars would be in agreement over this definition of literacy; in real life however there are many ideologies that all approach the theory of literacy very differently. This is because literacy is not simplified, but is rather complex, even if only made so by those that would argue its dominion.

In order to prevent the aforementioned problem, limitations and guidelines must be set so as to prevent the exaggeration of the true definition of literacy. A medium that conveys a message does not necessarily mean it requires literary skills, for instance the spoken word does not require literacy; it does require linguistic skills, but not the same skills as it takes to read or write, as one can speak a language without knowing its written form and vis versa. It is, however, very important to note that language is a key part of literacy, differing languages require more specification to be added so that the audience understands what type of information is likely to appear (e.g., this article requires a literary understanding of English.) Literacy does not, by the ideology presented here within, include symbolic forms of written material, such as the image of the stop sign (the shape, not the word ‘stop’ itself) or the color system of a traffic light. Such habitual recognition is gained through continuous exposure, and outside of regulation in its specific area of usefulness, offers no ulterior meanings or messages which would help to develop new ideas or perspectives. Unlike that of a word who can change accordingly to the situation, many times offering different definitions and usages, and text even excels in this area when compared to spoke language, for instance to, two, and too are all pronounced as the same word, but mean very different things. Finally, we must approach numerical systems, depending on the way in which they are presented may or may not be literary devices. The process through which numbers are manipulated, material generally considered mathematics, are not part of literacy as they are their own discipline. However when used as a literary tool which can complement and bolster a written argument, such as statistical data, they can be considered literacy.

Therefore, written text is all that comprise a material capable of being literacy, but what further requirements must a text go through in order to be a literary piece? Once again building off the definition of literacy as thus far defined, the next qualification is that there is a coherent message delivered. Gibberish such as “egqarg jsorshsgr osuhs fsifsosgsgsrjgs” should instantly be red flagged as a non-literary, and is easily distinguishable. “That in round blue.” This is text, it follows grammatical practices, even uses real words but this is not the material that a comic book, teen novel, or scientific journal would be comprised of because it has no message at all. However, as with anything, there are noteworthy exceptions to the rule; for example ingredient list on food items contain little structural by themselves, but if you know what you are looking for, you can easily read and use the information to your advantage.

Not all reading material is created equal however, and finding the level of difficulty for a work of literature very is important in regards to understanding it. Taking pieces that qualify as literature, you can then start to categorize what difficulty level they belong within, an easy task, as long as you allow it to be. The purpose the author has for the work and the audience interested in it can be used to measure the literacy. The first group is functional literacy, which is comprised of information intended for use by most anyone who reads it, or which is there solely as a side note for informative purposes. Setup instructions for printer or the warning labels on a lawnmower being an example of the former and previously mentioned ingredient list an example of the latter. A children’s book may contain a few short sentences and many pictures; delivering a message which is short and simple, as it was intended to be. This literacy is a small step above functional literacy in terms of easy with which it is read to an educated audience, but it is meant to be an outlet for a group who is much younger and for them, this may well be a challenge. Generally literature builds on itself, and you can see the next step in evolution of works as taught in most schools currently, especially those that use the AR (Accelerated Reader) system which has a level breakdown for books from first grade into high school levels and above.

This is still a rudimentary definition of literacy due to the length this paper must be restricted to, but the ground work set here shows how simplicity and specificity are key to defining literacy. It is only as difficult as one makes it, as an overly defined system of literacy can be as problematic as illiteracy, under my definition of it, as it becomes increasingly more difficult to solve the problem when being given an ever expanding base.

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