In this passage, “Why Literature Matters, Dana Gioia talks about what has happened to American arts. During the past quarter century, American arts has had a strange occurrence. The participation in the arts has declined for eight of the nine major forms of it. A study shows that the percentage of young Americans reading literature or reading in general is declining. Do you want to know why the decline in American arts is bad? If so, this essay will tell you why it is bad and how we can fix it. Gioia uses facts and examples to support her claims that there is a decline in America arts. According to a population study designed by the National Endowment for the Arts, the decline has been most severe in adults ages 18-24. The decline in reading has consequences that go beyond literature. The significance of reading has become a persistent theme in the world. The decline of reading is also taking its toll in the civic sphere. A study by National Conference of State Legislatures said, “Young people do not understand the ideals of citizenship… and their appreciation and support of American democracy is limited.
Gioia also uses reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims to evidence. Between the two studies I explained above, they both say that Americans ages 15-26 are decreasing the amount they read. This longstanding and fundamental
…show more content…
Dana Gioia uses persuasive elements such as surveys to show the decline in Americans reading. Not only does this make young Americans feel stupid, it also makes the United States look bad. The survey that would persuade more people to read would be the “Reading at Risk” article. This article says that literary readers are markedly more civically engaged than non readers and that their social and cultural interactions may lie in the kind of civic and historical