Literacy is Everywhere!

So much of this article points out how literacy shows up in unlikely places and literacy can be used to the most random of things. Before reading, I would not have even thought about the different ways literacy presents itself to the world. Hamilton states, “Showing that you are literate can be a statement of your social identity and status and lots of writing is not done on paper” (20). The fact that paper is only used as a conventional way to portray literacy fascinated me. It made me realize how many writings and images are stretched over a horizon of platforms, all with different intentions such as “artifacts [that] include papers and other writing surfaces such as gravestones, banners and trophies” (Hamilton 28). I would have never tied literacy with a gravestone before this class, because when i think of literacy, I tend to only think about education, which limits SO much.

 

            This picture I found involves the fact that literacy can be used as a celebratory item through the use of cake. Everyone loves cake and has had it at least once in their lives (if you have not, wow, just wow). Think about where though: birthdays, achievement parties, retirements, weddings, etc. Each one of these typically has a saying to represent the event. Now, with the help of major fan bases and skilled cake decorators, even the simple cake has transformed into advertisements of popular fictions to match themed parties and whatnot. The food item you cannot wait to cut into and eat has become a representation of what books you like to read and visual literacy with what movies you loved seeing.

 

            Even this has escalated into not only literacy being part of celebration, but also literacy seen as an accessory. Those same books and movies that you loved are transformed into items such as jewelry, shirts, sweatshirts, etc. I personally define this response in literacy as a “walking billboard,” which is based of the popularity of the subject in correlation with conformity. But, having more and more people advertise these examples of literacy brings awareness and interest from outside parties.