Gerald Graff Disliking Books Summary

Gerald Graff grew up loathing books which is ironic because he majored in English. Graff is an English professor at the University of Illinois and wrote the essay “Disliking Books.” Graff received his PhD in English and American Literature from Stanford University. He feels that his childhood struggle with reading gives him an advantage as a teacher to help his students who struggle in reading.

In the article, “Achievement of Desire” by Richard Rodriguez, starts to discuss the conflict of scholarship boy between school life and his home life. When he starts to make progress in his education, he was becoming discouraged and embarrassed of his parents lack of education. Rodriguez admits his success is due to never forgetting his life before he became a scholarship boy, yet the new change that came from getting an education. After reading this article, I would have to agree with certain parts Rodriguez has to say, yet disagree after realizing individuals who take the values of academic culture will start to experience alienation from native communities. Richard Rodriguez describes the difficulties between balancing life in the academic world and life of a working class family.

Cathey’s “My own little secret” story, which effectively makes an appeal to pathos that creates a sympathetic image to readers. Wolverton explains that Mr. Cathey didn’t read at his appropriate level and that he was reading books that were at a “First Grade, Level 1, Ages 6-7.” Also, having to read quietly so that none of his teammates wouldn’t hear him reading aloud (Wolverton, 117). Wolverton goal was to make the readers have some type of sympathy for Mr. Cathey. This strategy of using pathos helps Wolverton to persuade and entertain his readers and also helps to strengthen his argument at the end.

Reuven notices that Danny is very different from whom he had expected him to be. As the son of Reb Saunders, Danny shows many signs of having an intellectual passion, however he admits that studying just the Talmud is not enough and that his school life is quite boring. He feels that the teachers are too afraid of his father to challenge him, thus, he reads many books as a replacement for experiencing the challenges and excitement that he could never achieve at school. Rather than judging Danny by his appearance or position, Reuven uses this opportunity to actually listen to him, as a result, he was able to learn many things about his new friend. Prior to the novel, the same reoccurring theme of friendship seem to play an important role in

This is demonstrated in both the story of Vladek’s survival and Art’s attempt to reconcile with his father. In Maus, Art explains how he "can’t even make any sense out of my relationship with my father … how am I supposed to make sense out of Auschwitz? … of the Holocaust?” (II.1.4) Both protagonists in the book are confronted with troubles that drag the reader through the story as if they’re living it themselves. Art executes the dreary tone of this novel by sticking to the reality of the situations.

Some say that “[Huckleberry Finn] promote[s] bad morals and course behavior for young people”. Huckleberry Finn is satirical, funny and stands on a thin line between anti and pro slavery. He struggles throughout the story because he cannot decide whether he would like to turn Jim in because helping a “nigger” is bad. But as the story progresses, this young pro slavery taught boy, discovers the meaning of friendship through Jim which in his time and place seems like an impossible task. Another person who argues against the works of Mark Twain is John Wallace and he felt that, “racism can only be undertaken by graduate level students”.

But his mom would talk to teacher and make sure Chris got the grade he thought he should have earned. Another example was when Billie and Walt McCandless offered to pay for Chris’s law school. Highly offended, Chris declines the offer. I believe Chris was searching for something and thought

Freak points him in the right direction though, “Just write it all down like you’re talking”(151) he tells Max. After Freak dies, Max forgets about the book and reverts to his old habits. The book is still there; His fresh start is still there. So Max begins to write.

In writing A Voyage Long and Strange, Tony Horwitz’s goal is clear, to educate others on early America and debunk ignorant myths. Horwitz’s reason for wanting to achieve this goal is because of his own ignorance that he sees while at Plymouth Rock. “Expensively educated at a private school and university- a history major, no less!-I’d matriculated to middle age with a third grader’s grasp of early America.” Horwitz is disappointed in his own lack of knowledge of his home country, especially with his background history and decides not only to research America’s true beginnings, but to also follow the path of those who originally yearned to discover America.

In Ray Bradbury’s dystopian Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag experiences a paradigm shift as he transforms from a disoriented fireman to a learner who wants to gain knowledge through literature. Montag struggles with his newfound fascination with what was once trivial items because of his inability to ask questions under the bonds of conformity. However, the society prohibits people from reading for fear that they would express individuality and perhaps even rebel once they gain knowledge. Through the use of characterization and diction, the Bradbury demonstrates Montag’s desire for individuality and the society’s command of conformity in order to build a suspenseful mood, which keeps the reader’s interest. First, through the use of characterization,

Despite the downside of arts and humanities courses, students should look at the positive side at how these courses will help them. Fredrick Douglas talks about the importance of reading and writing in his essay "Learning to Read and Write." Douglas said "It opened my eyes to the horrible pit but no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity." (Douglas)

This means Faber is actually choosing to conform to society even though unlike Mildred Faber has already been enlightened to the truth. When most people are born they conform to the ideologies of their parents and communities, they don’t choose to conform, however they can choose not to conform. In the beginning of Fahrenheit 451 Montag is a conformist who burns books for a living; however as the book progresses Montag begins to read books and his opinions on the way his society is changes. In Fahrenheit 451 Faber tells Montag “pity, Montag, pity.

If one reads the novel, he or she would see that the relationship between Huck and Jim speaks louder than an inappropriate word. Therefore, by banning this novel and countless others like it, schools are depriving students of learning about history, and reading about what life, and literature, was like in times before their own. This shows that novels shouldn’t be banned from public high schools because some novels that are considered unsuitable for teenagers to read contain information about

Fredrick Douglas was not as happy as he expected to be when he was finally able to read. He stated, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing.” He is saying reading only gives him new worries, and no hopes. In the paragraph he talks about how reading would solve one of his problems, only to create a bigger one. This frustrated him because he wanted to figure out how to solve all of his problems.

Lastly, Huck didn’t put up with anyone telling him what to do, especially pap. Pap was racist and abusive, and Huck fought back even though he knew he’d be beat. Pap was furious that Huck was going to school and learning to write, on account of nobody else in the family being able to, saying: “You’re educated, too, they say; can read and write. You think you’re better’n your father, now, don’t you, because he can’t?