Draft Introduction:

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.

 

 

Breaking Intro Down:

 

FRAME:

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.

 

CREDIBILITY/ SOURCE INTRO.:

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.

 

PERSPECTIVE:

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.

 

 

EXPLANATION:

Revision to my introduction was done with the focus of introducing a clearly established idea in the context of publication by Brandt and Alexander as well as my fellow UNE students. Establishing the concept of literacy acquisition and how trauma can occur in the process was my real specific point of focus. So I claimed early in my intro why literacy is so important and why we should care about it. I then wanted to ensure my final introduction introduced the four authors I’d be working with relative to their backgrounds. Brandt and Alexander are experts in their field and I worked primarily with how their research and findings related to and shared ideas with my theory of trauma onset by literacy acquisition. Their names and works bring much legitimacy to my paper so it was crucial to introduce them early and properly. Shortly after that I moved into introducing the “minor” works of evidence that I would be examining. These were the literacy narratives by my fellow UNE students. The introductions handout really helped me organize what my ideas and mission was through my introduction. It also helped my properly introduce the four authors I worked with.