Literacy is valued highly by many and it makes us wonder why certain individuals have dislike it and have issues with it when it is being taught to them. I personally believe that the reason why this is such an issue is because in certain instances people are forced to read something that they don’t like or can’t relate to. I have seen examples of this personally because as a young child I enjoyed picture books and as I grew older I realized that I would have to stop reading these and move on to chapter books. While I knew I was capable of the work I didn’t want to let go of the picture books like diary of a wimpy kid because I found a sense of enjoyment in books like these. Many people write in their narratives that they found a way to get around not liking reading but in all honesty I think we choose that in order to be “successful” we must move on from what we like and are comfortable with and accept what is being thrown at us if we want to progress. I do sometimes find enjoyment in reading but at the same time I don’t think of it as something that I always want to do. It feels as something that is forced at times and that’s why these is such a conflict with it.
Alexander discusses the contrast between Master narratives and little narratives and the effect of this. Master narratives are about success and are the most commonly told narratives. Little narratives are “more specific, narratives of literacy that contrast with and challenge the master narratives” (Alexander 611). The contrast between is that while most tend to use the master narrative the little narrative seems to be more original and have more personal content behind it. Due to this it is a more interesting story to tell then the common success story of prospering through a time where one didn’t like reading or writing regardless of cause. What Alexander does point out is that while some use the less common little narratives there is still a sense of that master narrative in there. On certain occasions one may tell a whole story about how painful reading and/or writing was for them. But the success narrative is still found in the conclusion of the narrative when a sentence is worded “In the end I was still able to get by this and find a love for reading.” Alexander shows an example of this when talking about the outsider narrative. The outsider narrative is someone who feels like they don’t have a place or they haven’t found their place yet. But when Alexander points out the example for the outsider narrative we can see that there is clear use of the Master narrative.
Two of the “little” narratives that I found quite interesting were the outsider narrative and the hero narrative. The outsider narrative is someone who feels as though they don’t have a place or have not found their place yet. Therefore they are an outsider to everything because they don’t feel as though they are a part of anything. Alexander points this out as a “third space” (622). He still sees this narrative as one that uses parts of the master narrative and believes though there is a negative experience “an outsider is framed through the lens of success” (622). I found this interesting because I feel as though these people will at some point move into another narrative once they find their place and I want to know if this is possible. The other narrative I found interesting was the hero narrative. This one was interesting because it almost correlates directly with the Master narrative except there is a sense of accountability and ownership one take as a “hero” would. The reason I found this so interesting was because I feel like everyone has dreams and aspirations to be a hero. But most heros end up up getting the title by just being themselves. A fireman is a hero as well as a doctor. I really enjoy the potential of this narrative and think it has more to offer than the typical master narrative.
