Brendan Donohue

Prof. Cripss

English 123 D

1 March 2018

Trauma and Literacy

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, yet upon closer inspection there are layers of literacy that make the matter quite complex. Acquisition of literacy is something that most people accomplish at a young age. It is then refined, elevated and tested throughout a decade and a half of education. This has become the experience for most people in today’s western society, myself included. However, there is another aspect of literacy acquisition that is widely experienced, yet seldomly discussed. That is the trauma experienced through the acquisition of literacy. Deborah Brandt and Kara Poe Alexander are both authors who have earned Phds in the field of literature, and have since published works on the topic of literacy. Their respective works deeply discuss the inner workings of literacy acquisition, and I will be referencing them in my effort to explore the trauma associated with literacy acquisition. To test my hypothesis of trauma induced by literacy acquisition, I will be evaluating the literary experiences of Chris Sobral and Lindzee Ridley. Both of whom are fellow students of mine at the University of New England.

Although literacy is the heart and soul of schooling and at the foundation of almost every professional career, the process of acquiring literacy seems to be a struggle for many people. Deborah Brandt emphasizes the importance of literacy in “Sponsors of Literacy”. “Literacy, like land, is a valued commodity in this economy, a key resource in gaining profit and edge. This value helps to explain, of course, the lengths people will go to to secure literacy for themselves or their children” (Brandt 5). As Brandt proclaims, literacy is a crucial component and value, one that is vital for one’s success in society. For such a valued commodity that is taught at the earliest of ages, the process should not include pain and discomfort. Author Chris Sobral reflects on an early experience in his narrative by saying, “I always dreaded taking them [tests] because of the reading and writing sections…” (Sobral). Although tests can be a struggle, the idea of having to read and write on a test should not be something  associated with such trepidation. Through Brandt’s emphasis on literacy and Sobral’s negative association with literacy, it is clear something is wrong with the process of literacy acquisition. To further examine the negative association individuals have with literacy, I am going to further examine what the process is like for literacy acquisition.

Although reading is only one action in itself, the way in which it is learned can greatly vary. The are many reasons for which literacy acquisition varies, but the most impactful is how literacy is regarded in individuals home life. Brandt confirms this is her study of the history of literacy acquisition. “People’s literate skills have grown vulnerable to unprecedented turbulence in their economic value, as conditions, forms, and standards of literacy achievement seem to shift with almost every new generation of learners” (Brandt). The circumstances is which one is raised can determine the age in which someone is introduced to literacy, the time their parents or elders spend with them teaching them literacy, and most importantly the schooling that is provided. Individuals from affluent backgrounds are more likely to have successful literacy acquisition and even a positive acquisition experiences. These differences can irrevocably determine someone’s relationship with literacy. The importance of  how one’s circumstances can impact their literacy acquisition can be seen in Lindzee Ridley’s “Fact: I Can’t Read”. “… I didn’t have time to learn anything else. Which leads me to not being taught how to read. Reading was for school and I was learning important life lessons on how to survive. I was a tomboy” (Ridley). The environment in which Lindzee was raised placed an emphasis on the priorities and interests of her family more than extensive academic pursuits. This resulted in her being highly experienced and educated in certain fields, while her reading and literacy developed at a lesser rate. Consequently her literacy abilities were lesser than her peers. Thus, in her early academic years she developed negative thoughts as well as fears associated with literacy. The trauma Lindzee experiences in school by having inferior literacy abilities will cause her to be less inclined to invest in literacy.

The idea that youth are divesting in literacy due to negative literacy experiences is a tragedy. Especially cases in which the negative acquisition experience happens at an early age. This results in a individual being set on a life long trajectory with a negative relationship with literacy, and as previously stated,  “[literacy] is a valued commodity” (Brandt). In an attempt to redirect those who have developed a negative association with literacy due to trauma, I believe we should turn to the works of Kara Poe Alexander. cased upon the early life experiences one has with literacy acquisition, they would fall into one of these categories. It is her hypothesis that by learning this system of identification that one can retrospectively associate their literacy identity. They can move forward in their literacy development by understand they are not uniquely alone in their traumatic experience. Similarly to Alexander’s proposed method of graduating and healing from a traumatic literacy experience, Brandt promotes a method of literary sponsors.

Brandt describes literacy sponsors as “any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, or model [the acquisition of another’s literacy] (Brandt 2). Brandt associates an individual who has a literary sponsor with significantly higher success rates of literacy acquisition, as well as being less likely to experience trauma associated with literacy acquisition. Thus it can be theorized that an individual who works with a literacy sponsor would have the similar ability to heal literacy trauma they way Alexander’s method of recognition of literary roles and identities heals trauma.  The significance of the role that a literacy sponsor can have on an individual’s literacy acquisition, as proposed by Brandt, can be observed in Ridley’s “Fact: I Can’t Read”.

By high school I found that teacher. Finally. Halleluiah. His name was Daniel Ryder. Everyone calls him Ryder. He is the best dam English teacher you will ever find in high school. This will only work when and only if you get to know him and let him get to know you. I willingly let him in, hoping and praying he would be different. I just had a gut feeling. I was right, oh boy was I right.

Ridley had previously experienced significant literacy trauma previously in her life, yet found a means of healing and literary growth through her teacher Daniel Ryder who acted as her sponsor.

The presence of trauma associated with literacy acquisition is undeniable in today’s world. I believe the evidence of the individual trauma of Sobral and Ridley, as well as the methods of healing proposed by Brandt and Alexander are clear indicators that this trauma is real and present. I believe through the acceptance and understanding of this trauma, steps can be taken to initially prevent the trauma at school or in home environments. Youth are either spending time at school or in their home environment. It is crucial for educators, parents, and guardians of adolescent individuals to understand they play a role in the acquisition of literacy. It can be a positive role or a negative role that can have a lifetime impact. I believe that presence of literacy narratives and the role of sponsors are key themes that should both occur individually if not simultaneously, in the acquisition of literacy for all.