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Adrian Ancajas
Nancy Roche
19 September 2014
Writing 1010-013
Literacy Myth Argument Essay
The literacy myth is a theory composed by Harvey Graff stating the hypothetical effects
of literacy. Even though most people believe that the higher the literacy of a certain place, the
higher the socioeconomic status, this theory is often very false. It also means that they are more
modern, better developed, and well-behaved. It has also been theorized that it freed humanity
from the primitive state. However, the myth is something truly inaccurate and it is something to
be disproven. Even with the evidence stated here I agree in many ways that the literacy myth is
true is because literacy doesnt help with cognitive skills, doesnt affect how smart you are, and
the class and power system is a factor in affecting literacy.
First, literacy doesnt increase cognitive abilities significantly. It is definitely known to
increase the intellectualism of a person. It has often been theorized that better literacy can
increase problem solving and critical thinking skills, but literacy and schooling dont always go
together according to Vai (Gee 55). In the Schriber and Cole study, literacy led to no acquisition
of grandiose abilities, but specific abilities that are rather useless except on higher institutions,
such as schools, courts, and bureaucracies (Gee 55). Literacy also isnt vital for vocational
training and personal growth and development. In addition, school skills are only transitory,
unless repeated. There is nothing significant in literacy when it comes to cognitive abilities.
Second, the literacy myth truly gives others an unfair advantage at life. Like for instance,
many students are given different material for students of different social classes, not where they

would want to go. Most had argue that literacy is something that shouldnt be given to lower
social classes, since they are much poorer and unwilling to do menial work (Gee 56). This has
gone to factor in the social inequality in schools in which two kinds of literacy have been taught.
The literacy myth is very disparaging and unfair in which fairness isnt often involved. Plato had
explained that writing wont defend itself (Gee 49). Often, people with authority would take
advantage of what is written, and have more authority and less freedom to other people. It means
that they do it to fill the void of interpretation that was not put in place. This is what happened
with the bible truly. Due to the lack of interpretation, the papacy rose to give way to that. This
doesnt give others the freedom to interpret text unless the person behind the text defends it (Gee
54).
Third, literacy was something more hierarchial and authoritarian. Many societies around
the world, from the Catholic Church to the Nazis, wish to control what others had thought (Gee
49). The Nazis had used their elite status to persuade others in their political agenda. They used
the bible themselves to justify wealth, racism, imperialism, war and exploitation. On the other
hand, the Catholic Church did not allow the bible to be read by the public, but only the priest. As
a result, the Catholic Church had gained tremendous amount of power (Gee 54). They only
realized it much later that it wasnt good which had happened through the Reformation.
To conclude, even when a lot of evidence has been presented that literacy does help with
the effects in social development, the myth however, is flawed and obsolete in many ways. Even
when literacy has helped with economic development, it was mostly authoritative. The theory
itself of the literacy myth is often controversial and upsetting sometimes. The literacy myth has
no improvement on cognitive abilities, gives people an unfair advantage, and those in power tend

to abuse it. Therefore, the literacy myth is just that, a myth. It is something that we should all
understand and take from this.