As soon as a person turns five years old they are expected to go to school and stay in school until they have obtained a degree; in fact, in the state of California, kids are required to attend school up until high school. However, education is not a requirement in all parts of the world, like developing countries for example, therefore it may be harder for people in that situation to become literate. In Frederick Douglass’ “Learning to Read and Write” and Sherman Alexie’s “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me,” both authors share the process through which they became literate. Because of the color of their skin and the times in which they lived in, becoming literate was not an easy task. Consequently, they faced judgement and
