3-why-literature-matters

THEREDESIGNEDSAT®»SECTIONIII128SampleEssayPrompt2ThefollowingsampleEssaypromptisfollowedbyanannotatedversionofthesourcetextthatsuggestssomeofthewaysthatstudentsmightanalyzethetextinresponsetotheprompt.Theannotationsareonlyexamplesofelementsofthepassagestudentsmaychoosetowriteabout.Asyoureadthepassagebelow,considerhowDanaGioiausest
evidence,suchasfactsorexamples,tosupportclaims.t
reasoningtodevelopideasandtoconnectclaimsandevidence.t
stylisticorpersuasiveelements,suchaswordchoiceorappealstoemotion,toaddpowertotheideasexpressed.Adaptedfrom“WhyLiteratureMatters”byDanaGioia.©2005byTheNewYorkTimesCompany.OriginallypublishedApril10,2005.[A]strangethinghashappenedintheAmericanartsduringthepastquartercentury.Whileincomerosetounforeseenlevels,collegeattendanceballooned,andaccesstoinformationincreasedenormously,theinterestyoungAmericansshowedinthearts—andespeciallyliterature—actuallydiminished.Accordingtothe2002SurveyofPublicParticipationintheArts,apopulationstudydesignedandcommissionedbytheNationalEndowmentfortheArts(andexecutedbytheUSBureauoftheCensus),artsparticipationbyAmericanshasdeclinedforeightoftheninemajorformsthataremeasured....Thedeclineshavebeenmostsevereamongyoungeradults(ages18-24).Themostworrisomefindinginthe2002study,however,isthedecliningpercentageofAmericans,especiallyyoungadults,readingliterature.Thatindividualsatatimeofcrucialintellectualandemotionaldevelopmentbypassthejoysandchallengesofliteratureisatroublingtrend.Ifitweretruethattheysubstitutedhistories,biographies,orpoliticalworksforliterature,onemightnotworry.Butbookreadingofanykindisfallingaswell.THEREDESIGNEDSAT®»SECTIONIII129Thatsuchalongstandingandfundamentalculturalactivityshouldslipsoswiftly,especiallyamongyoungadults,signifiesdeeptransformationsincontemporarylife.Tocallattentiontothetrend,theArtsEndowmentissuedthereadingportionoftheSurveyasaseparatereport,“ReadingatRisk:ASurveyofLiteraryReadinginAmerica.”Thedeclineinreadinghasconsequencesthatgobeyondliterature.Thesignificanceofreadinghasbecomeapersistentthemeinthebusinessworld.TheFebruaryissueofWiredmagazine,forexample,sketchesanewsetofmentalskillsandhabitspropertothe21stcentury,aptitudesdecidedlyliteraryincharacter:not“linear,logical,analyticaltalents,”authorDanielPinkstates,but“theabilitytocreateartisticandemotionalbeauty,todetectpatternsandopportunities,tocraftasatisfyingnarrative.”Whenaskedwhatkindoftalentstheyliketoseeinmanagementpositions,businessleadersconsistentlysetimagination,creativity,andhigher-orderthinkingatthetop.Ironically,thevalueofreadingandtheintellectualfacultiesthatitinculcatesappearmostclearlyasactiveandengagedliteracydeclines.Thereisnowagrowingawarenessoftheconsequencesofnonreadingtotheworkplace.In2001theNationalAssociationofManufacturerspolleditsmembersonskilldeficienciesamongemployees.Amonghourlyworkers,poorreadingskillsrankedsecond,and38percentofemployerscomplainedthatlocalschoolsinadequatelytaughtreadingcomprehension.Thedeclineofreadingisalsotakingitstollinthecivicsphere….A2003studyof15-to26-year-olds’civicknowledgebytheNationalConferenceofStateLegislaturesconcluded,“Youngpeopledonotunderstandtheidealsofcitizenship…andtheirappreciationandsupportofAmericandemocracyislimited.”Itisprobablynosurprisethatdecliningratesofliteraryreadingcoincidewithdeclininglevelsofhistoricalandpoliticalawarenessamongyoungpeople.Oneofthesurprisingfindingsof“ReadingatRisk”wasthatliteraryreadersaremarkedlymorecivicallyengagedthannonreaders,scoringtwotofourtimesmorelikelytoperformcharitywork,visitamuseum,orattendasportingevent.Onereasonfortheirhighersocialandculturalinteractionsmaylieinthekindofcivicandhistoricalknowledgethatcomeswithliteraryreading....Theevidenceofliterature’simportancetocivic,personal,andeconomichealthistoostrongtoignore.Thedeclineofliteraryreadingforeshadowsseriouslong-termsocialandeconomicproblems,anditTHEREDESIGNEDSAT®»SECTIONIII130istimetobringliteratureandtheotherartsintodiscussionsofpublicpolicy.Libraries,schools,andpublicagenciesdonoblework,butaddressingthereadingissuewillrequiretheleadershipofpoliticiansandthebusinesscommunityaswell....Readingisnotatimeless,universalcapability.Advancedliteracyisaspecificintellectualskillandsocialhabitthatdependsonagreatmanyeducational,cultural,andeconomicfactors.AsmoreAmericanslosethiscapability,ournationbecomeslessinformed,active,andindependent-minded.Thesearenotthequalitiesthatafree,innovative,orproductivesocietycanaffordtolose.WriteanessayinwhichyouexplainhowDanaGioiabuildsanargumenttopersuadehisaudiencethatthedeclineofreadinginAmericawillhaveanegativeeffectonsociety.Inyouressay,analyzehowGioiausesoneormoreofthefeatureslistedintheboxabove(orfeaturesofyourownchoice)tostrengthenthelogicandpersuasivenessofhisargument.Besurethatyouranalysisfocusesonthemostrelevantfeaturesofthepassage.YouressayshouldnotexplainwhetheryouagreewithGioia’sclaims,butratherexplainhowGioiabuildsanargumenttopersuadehisaudience.