Topic
Reading the World Precedes Reading the Word
Instructions
There are many possible intersections between Orwell, Lutz, and Freire. For the argument essay,
you should consider your perspective on one of the following questions and use your response to
that question as the basis for your argument, drawing on Orwell, Lutz, and/or Freire to support
your claims. All essays must include Freire and either Orwell or Lutz, and essays that bring all
three thinkers into conversation are welcomed as well. You should not draw only from Orwell
and Lutz.
Option 1: In “The Importance of the Act of Reading”, Freire insists that teaching adults to
read and write is “a political act” (10). Why does he make such a claim, and how does this understanding of literacy intersect with Orwell and/or Lutz’s observations around political
uses of language?
Option 2: Throughout “The Importance of the Act of Reading”, Freire introduces the idea
that “reading the world precedes reading the word” (5). What does he mean by this? How
can his insights about context further illuminate the connection between language and our
perception of reality proposed by Orwell and/or Lutz?
There are many possible answers to these questions, and many ways to approach such a
response. You should draw on the primary texts from these authors (Freire, Orwell, Lutz), in
articulating your own unique response, and you may draw on other course readings or outside
research, if you wish (though this is not required).
Answer Preview
Further, Freire idea denotes the need to focus on ends as opposed to the means of literacy learning. Essentially, the statement underscores the need to differentiate the world as end and words as a means to the ends. When teaching students using textual content, educators want them to understand their world. Words become an important means of facilitating the learning or making sense of experiences. However, the text itself is insignificant. For example, if a teacher uses a wide range of resources to analyze social phenomenon such as hunger, it is inconsequential if they can’t relate the reading into their experience or world. The ultimate purpose of using texts forms the ultimate goal of teaching. While it is possible to argue that students can remember the words after reading, they will retain the understanding for a short time if they can’t relate with their world. On the flip side, understanding the world forms a basis of retaining the meaning in the long term. In this view, having an all-around understanding of words creates a more detailed understanding of reading the world.
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