Literacy, the ability to read and write, is even more important in today’s world than it was in the past. Years ago, many people did not know how to read or write and yet were able to live successful lives. Society was more strictly divided by occupation. That is, a farmer’s son would most likely grow up to be a farmer and a merchant’s son, a merchant. Not every occupation required the ability to read and write, and as people did not often aspire to change their employment, many did not need to be literate. Furthermore, neither education nor printed material was widely available. Most people did not read for recreation, but instead talked, sang, or played games. In short, literacy was not an essential thing for many people in the past.

In our oven time, the situation is very different. Without the ability to read and write, it is difficult to succeed. For one thing, our society is much more open and people can choose the career that they want to pursue. However, many careers are now closed to those who are not literate. Moreover, literacy is necessary in daily life, no matter what one’s occupation is. More information is disseminated in written form, such as newspapers and advertisements. Without the ability to read, one would not even be able to pay bills and would always be dependent on others. Also, education is widely available, but one needs the ability to read and write in order to pursue it. And finally, a man who is not literate in our society is looked down upon and will rarely earn others’ respect no matter how good he is at other things. For all of these reasons, I believe that the ability to read and write is more important now than ever.