Summary Of Why Literature Matters By Gioia

In The Article “Why Literature Matters,”Diana Gioia, a writer for the New York Times, discusses her concerns about a society that is becoming less and less interested in the written word. Gioia skillfully fortifies her argument by citing a study which examines public participation in the arts, a survey on worker skill deficiencies, and by detailing the potential ramifications of a society filled with non readers.
To begin to persuade the reader, Gioia cites a population study done in 2002. This study was designed to examine the general public in order to determine the number of people participating in the arts and how this data compares with previous years. As it turns out, the numbers are dipping sharply. Gioia goes on to show the reader
This group asked its members what skills were most lacking in their employee. The second highest response was a lack of reading skills. With this information Gioia is showing the reader that children who are not reading enough develope into working class citizens who have a serious lack of reading comprehension skills. The obvious concern with this idea is that if the employees cannot read effectively, there is a good chance that they will be less efficient in the labors, which will impact production and eventually cause prices on some goods to rise.
Finally, Gioia makes a sharp point about a 2003 study done by the National Conference of State Legislatures. This study concludes that people who are less likely to read for pleasure are also less likely to understand their civic duties as a citizen of the United States. these same people are prone to isolationism and a lack of compassion when it comes to donating to charitable causes or working to better their community. Gioia is painting a grim picture of a society where people are less educated, less motivated and less concerned with the greater good. In a word, this image is