Sponsors of Literacy by Deborah Brandt Analysis Essay

Literacy, in its simplest form, is having the ability to read and write, but the term “literacy” itself, is much more compelling. In “Sponsors of Literature”,Deborah Brandt takes the reader on a journey of literary history and the uniqueness each individual has in developing personal literacy. A sponsor, in a literary sense, is something that helps those seeking literacy achieve their goal. It can be a person, organization, or simply, an idea. Literacy has a sizable history and every part of it affects modern-day literacy in one way or another. More or less, sponsors can be in the form of good or bad examples and can carry many defining qualities. Although there are numerous appealing qualities, one that stands out as most vital is passion because of the many characteristics that can stem off of the act of being passionate about something. 

Primarily, passion is the leading force that encourages others to learn. Without passion, there is no drive to be the very best at something. If a sponsor is passionate about the information that they are relaying, it will be more interesting to attain. If a sponsor’s qualities are furthermore passed down onto their successors, passion is a quality that would lead to success as a sponsor. Additionally, being passionate will help apprentices have the will to succeed on multiple levels and have those who possess this quality aim to do well in their future endeavors, whether it be literacy or other academic journeys. Being a passionate sponsor will create an initiative to work towards mastery in your beneficiaries. “She also remembered typing up documents connected to civil suits being brought against local businesses, teaching her, she said, which firms never to hire for home repairs. ‘It just changes the way you think,’ she observed about the reading and writing she did on her job” (Brandt 79). Following Sarah Steele’s story, it is evident that she has a passion for both her family and knowledge of the unknown. She rejoins the workforce after giving birth to her children so she can help support their education needs, and made an effort to learn while at work, both of which show a passionate nature. Sarah later explains that her passion and drive towards becoming educated on these topics helped lead her to avoid being a victim of ignorance. To expand, in a world where mental health is more important than ever, sharing a passion in what you do can help one maintain their happiness and can be a key to joy in life. 

After reading Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literature” and Kincaid’s “Girl”, I was given both reassurance and doubt on the idea of passion being the most defining quality that a sponsor can have. Brandt gives various examples as to how passion can help drive people to succeed and achieve academic freedom and excellence. For example, Carol White had a passion for literacy in a spiritual sense, which helped lead to her success. “Girl” consists of many qualities that are not effective as a good example and help drive the character away. For example, the authoritative figure gives a list of standards that are expected to be followed and gives no respect or care for the character’s input. The adult follows by giving instructions on how to act properly in certain situations. “on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 149). The way that the speaker gave orders in this piece gave doubt on passion and led me to believe that, perhaps, respect is the most important and effective quality in a sponsor. The two characters severely lacked respect for one another and that was the key to their failure. Although respect is important, passion is more meaningful because of the different qualities that can be created from passion. If two parties are both passionate about a certain topic, they will often have respect for each other and their respective works. With passion comes respect, and respect without passion is nothing at all.

With that being said, there are numerous appealing qualities, one that stands out as most vital is passion because of the many characteristics that can stem off of the act of being passionate about something. With passion comes respect, responsibility, compassion, and experience. With most positive qualities being valued in a sponsor, none are close to important as passion is. Being passionate about what you do will keep you motivated and interested in the activities you and the adventures you go on in life.