Analysis Of Jonathan Kozol's The Human Cost Of An Iliterate Society

Illiteracy is defined as, the inability to read or write. After reading Jonathan Kozol’s “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” I have never felt so sympathetic towards any group of individuals. The essay has several examples of the challenging problems illiterate individuals experience, and the effects illiteracy has on society. Illiterate individuals experience shame and humility, while being used for others’ personal gain. Furthermore, many illiterates have trouble communicating and making a living. I have to agree with Kozol’s main point; Illiteracy is an issue that should be treated as a main threat by democracy in today’s society.

When I began high school, I believed that high school should not teach english because all I needed was the essentials. Later on I began to realize how important literacy is and how it should be improved throughout an individual’s life. Furthermore, improving upon literacy made me more aware and prone to people who seek to take advantage upon individuals.

Kozol explained the negative influence illiteracy has on politics by providing reasons that affect the voting process.

“The number of illiterate adults exceeds by 16 million the entire vote cast for the winner in the 1980 presidential contest (Kozol 45).” I assume many illiterates cannot vote due to the fact that the voting ballots may confuse them causing them to feel unsure and bailing out on voting. As Kozol noted,

“Illiterate citizens seldom vote. Those who do are forced to cast a vote of questionable worth. They cannot make informed decisions based on serious print information. More frequently, they vote for a face, a smile, or a style, not for a mind or character or body of beliefs. Sometimes the can be alerted to their interests by aggressive voter education

(45).”
I am sure illiterate citizens feel uneasy and constant shame throughout their lives due to their inability to read which leads to mistakes that impact their lives in a serious manner. In Kozol’s essay, many interviewees face situations when communication is difficult between the illiterate and the individual who is receiving or sending a message, which leads to major problems that impact the illiterate individuals. Kozol states, Illiterates cannot read the notices that they receive from welfare offices or from the IRS. they must depend on instruction from the welfare instructor (47). If illiterates cannot read welfare notices, they may not be informed that they will no longer receive benefits and may cause homelessness which can be even more serious for illiterates who have families. Furthermore, Kozol mentions how illiterates feel ashamed when when a 5 year old child can read and comprehend a simple phrase, while illiterates cannot manage to even break the sentence down. Kozol mentions, when an illiterate individual is lost or in need of assistance, they feel embarrassed when the emergency operator cannot find their location because they cannot pronounce the word or words on the street sign. Towards the end of Kozol’s essay he mentions a former student of his named Stephen who was arrested for murdering a man who had cheated him and insulted him. Stephen may seem like a lost cause who has no impact on society, but Kozol informs the readers how an incarcerated individual has a severe impact on the economy. “Silent violence is repaid with interest. It will cost us $25,000 yearly to maintain this broken soul in prison (Kozol 52).” To conclude Kozol’s essay, he mentioned how it is a society formed by presidents and not the citizens and the fact that we as a society firmly believe in democracy that we pledge allegiance to it (52).
Ultimately, Kozol’s essay proves that illiteracy should be viewed as one of the biggest threats facing Americans today. Communication is valued widely amongst society, but when we have several illiterate citizens, communication is always lost in translation, which leads towards unnecessary complications nobody should ever face.