Joseph Satterwhite

UWRT 1103-010
Professor Douglas
1/14/17

Literacy Narrative:
How History and Science-Fiction Led to My Love for Reading

My earliest memories always involve my mother reading to me. Growing up, reading was

one of my favorite activities. My mother read anything to me that I asked. My favorite topics

included history, animals, and space travel. (Changed this sentence to improve flow.) I craved all

the knowledge I could get from these books. Looking back, I realize that many of these books

were watered-down for children, yet they were fundamental in my development of literacy.

History was and continues to be my favorite non-fiction subject, especially the history of warfare

and inventions. Even with these books, I still hadnt found a fictional genre that gripped my

attention; something that engaged me in the world it was describing. This all changed when I saw

a little film titled Star Wars.

The moment Darth Vader stepped onto the screen in A New Hope, the universe of Star

Wars enthralled my six-year old mind. I noticed similarities between the Galactic Empire and the

Nazi Party that was in history books my mother read to me. It wasnt until later in my life that I

realized George Lucas did this intentionally. Seeing how the real world could be distorted into a

fictional universe full of aliens, factions, and an entire galaxy of diverse planets led to my love of

reading and writing about science-fiction as a child. My earliest writing experiences were often

short-stories set in the Star Wars universe. I never completed a story from beginning to end.

(Would remove this sentence as it adds nothing to the narrative and is simply filler.) While most

were full of grammatical errors and sporadic plotlines, this early exposure to writing helped me

out when I had to write papers in elementary and middle school.

Joseph Satterwhite
UWRT 1103-010
Professor Douglas
1/14/17

On the reading side of literacy, I read many types of science-fiction books. Early on I

read a lot of the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, but I diversified into older science-fiction

novels. One of my favorite authors to this day is Jules Verne. I read many of his novels growing

up, albeit they were abridged versions. The first time I read Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the

Sea, it gave me a grand appreciation for older science-fiction. His descriptive language

captivated my young mind. I went on to read other novels of his such as Journey to the Center of

the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, and Around the World in Eighty Days. Writing these in

the 1800s, Verne predicted many inventions developed in the 1900s. Rockets, tasers, electric

submarines, and solar sails are just a few examples of machines in Vernes mind that came true.

Vernes style of writing about inventions and the future, as well as my love for history,

led to my next phase in writing stories. I began to write stories set after apocalyptic-events. One

such story I have a vivid memory of writing in the third grade involved using a time machine to

travel into a future ravaged by nuclear war. Written in the first-person, my writing style reflected

that of Jules Vernes. I described scenes such as the gray and brown hues of the sky and ground,

as well as the emptiness and isolation I felt. After returning to the present-day, I wrote about

contemplating how such a disaster could be prevented, and if humanity was destined to commit

this atrocity no matter how hard we try to prevent it. My teacher commended me for the

descriptions I gave and said that my anti-war message that underlined the story was very mature

topic at such a young age. (Removed filler.) I attribute this to my love of reading history books,

as it showed me how terrifying the Cold War could have been had it turned into a full-scale

nuclear war.
Joseph Satterwhite
UWRT 1103-010
Professor Douglas
1/14/17

As I progressed into middle school and high school, my love of reading and writing died

down. I was told to read books I had no interest in and write essays that bored me. It was not

until senior year of high school that I read a book that I enjoyed being told to read. That novel

was George Orwells 1984. I was shocked that a book published in 1949 could provide a look at

a dystopian future set in the 20th-century, yet address issues that have never been more prevalent

than in our current times. The issues of perpetual warfare, government surveillance, xenophobia,

and totalitarianism are all major topics in this book. Each of these issues are becoming

increasingly apparent in todays society and it is important we learn from the fears of the past to

prevent issues in the future.

In addition to renewing my interest in science-fiction novels, I have also renewed my

interest in reading about historical events. These articles are usually online, and can include

anything from the politics of the Roman Republic to the aftermath of the Iraq War and how it led

to the rise of ISIS. History is an underrated subject. It provides a look into the past so we may

make better decisions for our future and has been a major reason for the development of my

literacy.

As I have grown up, my taste for reading and my style of writing haveve matured. What

started as a love for history and Star Wars has led to a deep appreciation for older science-fiction

novels, the history of our world, and the ability to write with deeper meaning. During my time at

the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I hope to continue my literacy narrative by

learning to write in new styles and to new audiences. This class is just my first step towards

achieving that goal.