Reading and writing is a skill and commodity which all can master, yet are not all given the equal opportunity to master. Whether this be due to social-economic standards, or due to a lack of motivation or confidence due to a poor history with writing. “Literacy, like land, is a valued commodity in this economy, a key resource in gaining profit and edge” (Brandt, 558). What Brandt means by this is that when given the power of literacy, people are capable of achieving more within society due to this knowledge. Some people, though not all, miss the opportunities which literacy can bring due to an issue brought up from their pass, perhaps a poor teacher. In Williams text “Heroes, Rebels, and Victims: Student Identities in Literacy Narratives”, he states “ And how about the student who finally worked up the courage to show a science-fiction story she had written to her beloved high school english teacher, only to have him dismiss writing in that genre as a waste of time” (Williams, 342). This shows that the teacher had an effect on the student, limiting their creativity and possible appreciation for literacy just because his opinion did not match the students. Poor experiences with literacy can make lasting moments of dislike for those who experience them.

Hero and Child Prodigy are two “little narratives” that interest me because of the grandeur stories which could revolve around them. Alexander describes Hero as a story about liberation, development, and upward mobility where the author comes out a hero, and Child Prodigy is a story about something they author did as a child which can be seen as “above average” in comparison to the other students or children which the author interacted with. Alexander finds both of these to be slightly embellishing on the authors part as well as promoters of life always working out the way the author wishes. This is the opinion which I took away from the document. The Hero story involves a story which the author makes themselves out to be a hero in a way which allowed for a literacy enlightenment such as overcoming challenges by finding a new way to complete them in a unique way.  For Child Prodigy comes a story where the child does something extraordinary within the story. Though with this I find the term “child prodigy” to be used too lightly. It is unlikely that as many people who use this narrative were actual child prodigies who did things which not many other children could do. In my opinion this is a way of embellishing a story and making it seem more crazy than it is.

Williams notes that it is “intriguing to consider the identities students construct for teachers” especially when you view it in terms of Alexander’s categories. Rebel is a good example of how the author would represent their literacy sponsor. Some of the essays about being a rebel involved “resisting traditional literacy beliefs” (Alexander, 621). This can represent one’s Literacy Sponsor if their sponsor is an unconventional teacher or possibly a rebellious sibling. Having someone with that attitude is influential to one’s upbringing and personality which is reflected in their literacy. When it comes to outsiders were students who “constructed themselves in a foreign land” (Alexander 622). These people considered themselves to be outside the group and wrote about this in their literacy narrative. Their sponsors could have been introverted members of their family or well known influences that were more quiet and reserved. This was a trait which they picked up from these people and became relevant in their writing.