Analysis Of Gerald Graff's Disliking Books

In Thomas C. Foster’s How To Read Literature Like a Professor For Kids, readers have the ability to identify certain elements from chapters “Nice To Eat You; Acts of Vampires”, “Is That a Symbol?”and “Marked For Greatness”, which Laura Hillenbrand puts to action in her book Unbroken. In Laura Hillenbrand’s novel Unbroken, the characters in the story show and play out the chapter 3 “Nice to Eat You; Acts of Vampires” from Thomas C. Foster’s How To Read Literature Like a Professor For Kids. In the novel Unbroken there is a general named Watanabe who was the leader of discipline at Omori POW camp in Japan. Watanabe was known for his brutality within the camp because his purposeful standing around waiting for someone to make one tiny mistake, so he could beat them until they were unconscious.

“Books to me were powerful and transformational. ”this is stated in paragraph 5 of Charles Blow’s text. Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 believes this quote strongly. He is the main character from Fahrenheit 451. Reading plays a big part in both Montag’s and Charles Blow’s lives.

Additionally, Dannie is stuck on the idea of “I don’t like reading and writing”, which urges me to find different opportunities for him to enjoy literature. Although I cannot force him enjoy literature, I can use strategies to improve his skills in hopes that this increases his attitude toward literature. After observing Dannie, I feel as if he needs to give reading and writing a chance before determining if he does not like literature in

Disliking Books by Gerald Graff outlines his growth towards liking books. Graff has received his BA in English from the University of Chicago and his PhD in English and American literature from Stanford University and is currently working as a professor of English and Eduation in the University of Illinois. Graff begins his work with recounting how, as a child, he has an aversion to books regarding history and literature for he cannot find their application to his life. Moreover, students who cultivated these skills are looked down upon and being a Jew, this would put him in danger of being beaten. Observing another side of his argument, he references Lives on the Boundary, in which the author implies that the working class found knowledge as saving grace, however, Graff takes for granted his education as part of the middle class.

Her full use of strong language diminishes pieces of literature’s worth and questions their true significance. She claims this in a critical tone by stating, “Like most parents who have, against all odds, preserved a lively and still evolving passion for good books, I find myself, each September, increasingly appalled by the dismal lists of texts that my sons are doomed to waste a school year reading”(Prose, 176). She uses words like dismal to describe the book choices students would have to read according to the curriculum of the educational system. By using words like dismal, she expresses her feeling of disappointment towards the curriculum. She

In Sandra Cisneros “Mericans” she creates a young character named Michelle who faces cultural differences and nonunderstanding, gender roles and culture stereotyping which can be exhibited in the real world. The author introduces Michelle as a foreigner with in her own culture, with this being said throughout the story Michelle seemed to be uninterested in her Grandmothers ideals and the principles of the Mexican heritage. The evidence behind this statement is; throughout the passage Michelle refers to her grandmother as being “awful” (Cisneros 93). I think a big reason for this is the fact that the grandmother has the children wait outside the church doors as she goes and say her daily prayers.

As a child, Graff talks about how he shared a hatred for books, but rather a passion for sports. Reading sports magazines was the only thing you’d catch him reading as he became hooked. In the education system, schoolwork isolated you from others whereas in sports, you can reach out to anybody and have conversation. He believed because of high interest in sports, he was a typical anti-intellectual, but he came to the

Often his parents and siblings would make fun of him for his specific hunger for success. He wanted to be like his teachers, knowledgeable and successful. His obsession with books was not out of joy or for fun, he had one specific goal in mind and kept reading until he reached it. Reading did not come easy as he said it was more of a “chore.” Moving on to college he found his peers annoyed with his readiness to learn, and at the raise of his hand in class.

She stated “I hate exercise…I work out and want to die…I knew I was in love with The Hunger Games when I did not want to get off the treadmill” (138). Her involvement with the text helped Gay to overlook the negative aspect being at the gym, making her a creditable source to encourage the audiences to realize literature can be used as a tool to surpass obstacles. Although Cox Gurdon, a young children book reviewer stated: “Young Adult Fiction has taken too dark a turn,” but Gay appeals to ethos by claiming, teens read book to escape dark aspect of reality (qtd Gay145). She quoted Sherman Alexie an American poet, who is a passionate writer who believes that, “There are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged,” to prove her argument against Gurdon (145). She successfully shapes her argument about kids reading book to escape reality, by telling the reader the reason she read The Hunger Game was because she likes the way the author placed people in their world.

Even my talkative teacher was reduced to a slack-jawed stare of awe. As my brief embarrassment and their slight shock quickly passed, I was cheered for. I was the reading champion! The hero of literature that would lead our class to victory! I even earned one of Mrs. Fisher’s rarely-given rewards (a Strawberry

Books have always been an alternate world to escape to and learn more about the world around you. But that’s a privilege some do not have. In Fahrenheit 451, books and burned at all costs and in The Book Thief, Liesel must steal to be able to read and learn about the world. Within both texts, books play a vital role.

In the article, “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, he states that the decline of interest in literature—especially from young teens—will have a negative outcome in society. Notably, he informs the readers by utilizing strong vocabulary, as well as rhetorical appeals to persuade his audience that the decline in reading will have a negative outcome. This allows readers to comprehend his views and join his side of the argument. Gioia’s word choice assists in showing the magnitude of the text by stressing the meaning and importance of his argument.

The Whipping Boy is a Newberry award-winning book by Sid Fleischman that follows the story of Prince Brat (as he is known by everyone behind his back) and his whipping boy, Jemmy as they embark upon an action packed adventure when they run away from the castle. The chapters in this book are short and include a few pictures. The story is pretty action packed as it happens in about a twenty-four hour period. The story has a good moral to it about two unlikely friends from different backgrounds coming together, learning more about each other, changing their ways, and becoming friends.

He confirms his beliefs with the statement “Real intellectuals turn any subject, however lightweight it may seem into grist for their mill through the thoughtful questions they bring to it, whereas a dullard will find a way to to drain the interest out of the richest subject.” (Graff 265) By saying this, Graft makes the argument that while academic intelligence is important, it can sometimes be dull and lifeless. He believes that you should not base a student’s intellectualism on how well he learns in the classroom, but on their personal drive. He successfully reaches the reader on an emotional level by giving personal stories and testaments from childhood to young adulthood.

And I want you to teach me to understand what I read." (Bradbury 78) Books to him are a way to communicate with others. He is frustrated that everyone else is blind to that. This expresses the value of the books expanding the way of communicating. He knows he will need help on understanding it and