Am I Literate?

Today in class, we discussed the reconstruction of history. Truth, over the years may have been lost, as each fact, when retold, becomes a new interpretation. No History would exist without the art of storytelling, so where exactly does truth lie? We talked today about a book called Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know." It is basically a how-to guide on being a well rounded American I was shocked that a book like this existed. People were feeding themselves, and training their children to learn stories as if they were facts.

I did more research on this book, and I have been surprised by the popularity it had gained. Who wants to be told what makes them literate? Furthermore, what gives E.D Hirsch, Jr. the right to declare what is and what is not essential to Americans knowledge?

A professor named Bernard Schweizer wrote an essay entitled "Cultural Literacy: Is it time to revisit the debate?" Schweizer, confused about his opinion on Cultural Literacy, conducted a survey in one of his classes. In the class,

“One student out of 15 could identify Gandhi; none had ever heard of Ernest Hemingway; none had a clue who Henry David Thoreau was.”


Yes, this could be concerning.  But what I find more concerning is the fact that someone is reconstructing history, and the present by choosing what we should know?


Schweizner goes on, mentioning the criticism he received. People had mentioned to him:

“Our students are equipped with vibrant local cultural knowledges of their own.”

As generations go on, is it not that generations place to create a new cultural literacy? To reconstruct their own society? Having someone tell you what is important gives no richness to the experience of learning, of becoming a well rounded American of today.