What does literacy mean to you? Can you recall that very moment of realizing being literate? Literacy, in general terms means—the ability to read and write. But do we think that often about this term and its importance? Well, the authors of “Scholarship Boy” and “Disliking Books” surely have a lot to say about literacy. In the articles: 'Scholarship Boy' by Richard Rodriguez and 'Disliking Books' by Gerald Graff, the main topic discussed is education’s impact on the authors' lives and careers. The authors discuss their early childhood academic phases chronologically and continue to elaborate on their changed approach towards academics. Richard talks about his eagerness towards education, the shift of behavior from school to home, idolizing his teachers and, not being proud of his parents. Gerald describes his aversion and fear of books and how he ironically became a literature teacher. He further mentions his realization about intellectual reading and critics' responses, which gave him confidence and personal engagement. In both the articles, the authors state a turning point which changed their personal and professional life. They talk about the atmosphere they grew up in and how that affected them. I strongly believe that a student must keep a fine balance between his/her school and family life and, avoiding parents for academic success is not the ideal path. Every student is different and special in their way, some may excel in all subjects and strive for good grades, whereas some may struggle with most of the subjects and take a while to understand what they love and are good at. Such a point of realization is indeed very significant for any individual.
In the article 'Scholarship Boy,' from “From Inquiry to Academic: A Practical Guide” (January 23, 2008) pp. 25-30, Richard Rodriguez attempts to answer the most frequently asked questions about his successful career by taking a reference from Richard Hoggart's The Uses of Literacy and confessing that his academic success distances him from the life he loved. He finds the “Scholarship Boy”—a good student but a troubled son, very relatable. Richard claims that for a working-class student, the first step towards academic success is to be away from family, resulting in idolizing the teachers instead. He recalls how obsessive and eager he was about reading academic books as a child. I agree with the author's statement—'Advancing in his studies, the boy notices that his mother and father have not changed as much as he. Rather, when he sees them, they often remind him of the person he once was and the life he earlier shared with them'. I liked Richard’s expression of all the gradual changes throughout his academic years. I agree with the implication of a child's emotional attachment with the family. I further believe that a student must not avoid his/her parents for academic success. One can try balancing school and family duties. Also, one should not forget his/her memory of himself/herself. I now live away from my family but I do not avoid them or forget my roots and true self. I know it’s hard, but I still try my best to balance. I do agree with the fact that few studious students feel offended by their parents.
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In his article 'Disliking Books,' from “From Inquiry to Academic: A Practical Guide” (January 23, 2008) pp. 31-36, Gerald Graff talks about his struggles academically. He recalls, he never liked any subject in particular as he didn't find any application to his experience. He states that he chose to major in English because he found it conveniently non-committal. He claims that the reason he would get tongue-tied when called on was that he wasn't clear about what to say. He mentions a controversy over Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and finding his and the critics’ views to be the same—point of realization. I found it very interesting that Gerald found his confidence and personal engagement when he read a piece of someone else’s viewpoint on a topic (intellectual discussions). I think it’s true that when a student starts to perform in the class as per the expectations he/she may not find it natural and may have different opinions. Gerald felt his intellectual talk to be hollow in his mouth. I believe that students take a certain amount of time to figure out what they want/like. I realized that I truly loved computers only after exploring that field during schooling days. This realization can occur at any point in one’s life and can show the right path to the individual—mostly a career. In the case of Gerald, his career has been shaped very differently when compared to the “standard way”. He sums up his article by finishing with the point he started— the advantage of being a literacy teacher—can understand the difficulties students face. Gerald’s story is very different from people who knew from the beginning what to become when they grew up.
In both the articles, the authors mainly talk about their challenges as a student in their early childhood and reflect on their past. Both the authors mention one instance which changed their perspective towards academics. They both note the point in their lives when they realized they were literate and how that affected them in different ways. Richard talks about his eagerness towards books and how his personal and professional life is affected by it. He notes all behavioral changes with his family due to his excessive indulgence in studying. He theorizes that a student gains academic success only when he/she is away from his/her family. Whereas Gerald speaks about his struggles with academics. He mentions different topics like intellectual reading and how it interested him, the theory behind the ability to speak well on a topic and, the order of events in his life resulting in becoming a literacy teacher. I agree with Richard's description of 'Scholarship Boy' and equating it with himself. I found the chronological explanation of a student's academic phases very precise. I am skeptical of the theory he mentions for academic success—staying away from family. In the second article, I agree with Gerald's notion of the ability to speak and the mentioned advantages he has as a teacher. I strongly believe that a factor like the atmosphere where one grows up can influence academics.
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