#functional illiteracy

Now I will absolutely be the first to admit that I need to reread the book, because while I feel I got most of what Emily Bronte was trying portray, I know there is more there that I am missing. Still in everything I hear and see about the film absolutely shocks me.

I have no plans to see the film untill it comes out on streaming services mainly because I don't want to spend 30+ dollars to see a movie do a story and author such a horrible injustice.

That being said I do have many comments to make on it, and when it does eventually come to streaming services I'm sure I will have more to say.

The choice to make Heathcliff white is one done with a purpose. When the director said she cast him as white because that was how she envisioned Heathcliff already says enough. The book makes it very clear that he is a POC, from when Nelly is trying to console him, to quite literally calling him a slur. Bronte could not have been more clear in the fact that he isn't white unless she specifically said his race.

Secondly by whitewashing him you erase his tramua. Part of the reason Heathcliff is so badly abused by Hinley (who doesn't exist in the movie) is because he cannot fathom why is father would prefer Heathcliff a person of color or him. Meaning you now have to completely rewrite a reason for the abuse Heathcliff is put through. You also erase a major factor in why Heathcliff and Catherine cannot be together.

Another thing that I find disgusting and incredibly tone death is what they have done to Isabella. Isabella in the book is a very young naive girl. Despite every warning (no matter how self serving they where) she got from Catherine, and every attempt made by Edgar she was manipulated by Heathcliff into loving him.

The first thing Heathcliff does in their marriage is kill her dog who is described as always following her around. She writes a letter to Nelly telling her of all the deplorable things that have happened in just one night of her staying there.

Isabella is victim of DV and implied SA. So for the Emerald Fennell to erase that by making the abuse Heathcliff put her through seem "Kinky" and like she consented to it is completely abhorrent. Isabella in the books risks her life and runs from Heathcliff after he throws a knife at her.

Thirdly by erasing the kids story you completely flip the narrative. The whole second half of the story is about healing from generational tramua. I dont know if there is plans to make a part two to the movie. One on hand I hope so, just so that entire plot line isn't erased, but on the other Fennell has done enough damage and needs to leave Wuthering Heights alone.

Calling this an "adaptation" is a weak excuse for Fennell to take one of the most emotionally gut wrenching books and turn it into a complete slop. Fennell has done irreparable damage to not only the reputation of Wuthering Heights but to Bronte herself who published under a false name to get her story out and read.

In the USA:

-14% of adults are under the basic level for prose literacy

-12% of adults are under the basic level for document literacy

-70% of inmates read bellow 4th grade level

In the UK:

-42% of 16 years old left school without basic level of functional English.

-18,5% of 15yo are functionally illiterate

In France:

-19,8% of 15yo are functionally illiterate

-40% of inmates are functionally illiterate

And this is just 3 countries.

Warning: long post, wizard swears, some talks about racism

Ok. So I've made this mistake before and this is me calling myself and others out. Muriel knows how to read.

First off, he can write you god damn post cards in heart hunters. Jfc of course he's fucking literate!

So let me talk to y'all about literacy. I'm an educator, and I'm sitting with another of my teacher friends (who is not part of this fandom and is unbiased) as I'm writing this, and she has a reading endorsement and is fact checking me.

(Note: I'm speaking from a very western point of view, here. Things vary in different places and every reader is different.)

First off, there's a difference between being "illiterate" and being "functionally illiterate".

Illiteracy is not being able to read or write.

Functional Illiteracy is when you cannot manage tasks in your daily life due to the level of your reading and writing skills. For modern adult in the United States (again, speaking from being an educator here), this includes comprehending leases and other paperwork, writing and reading at an appropriate level.

It is increasingly difficult to learn to read and write as you get older, once you get past a certain age. That's why you learn to read in kindergarten, or even earlier. This has been backed up by a lot of research and is why it's important to read to babies when they're little.

History time

It wasn't until the widespread practice of public schools that literacy was common. Reading and writing were taught by private tutors in wealthy homes. The ability to read and write was what separated the rich from the poor and kept them in these social classes.

(And even then, segregation in the United States kept people of color poorly educated as a form of systematic oppression. Socioeconomic (read: mostly poc) prejudice is still a problem in today's schools here. It's a very big issue that many don't realize exists.)

Now, about my beautiful sweet boy. Muriel grew up homeless and literally is the definition of a street urchin. I can almost guarantee you he was not taught to read as a child. There is no way, unless someone taught him the basics before he left the South (and I think he would have been too young at the time? PLEASE someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

Even today, functional illiteracy in homeless youth is a problem. (Links here and here)

I believe Asra re-taught MC how to read and, like many have said, he would not have let his best friend stay illiterate. HOWEVER, because he was taught at a later age, his reading level was limited. At the very latest, if he was taught to read at the age his is present-day in the story, he would probably be at a 2nd grade reading level (says my teacher friend). If he was taught around the age at which he met Asra? It would be even higher, if they had access to reading material at the proper level (which Asra did, once he started working for the Count and/or had access to the magic shop, though Muriel was kept basically a prisoner for combat, at that time)

So Muriel is not illiterate, though he would probably be considered functionally illiterate by today's standards.

But here's the thing.

MC is probably functionally illiterate by modern standards, too.

So are the Devoraks.

SO IS LUCIO and he's the god damn Count.

The other important thing to note here is how valued these skills would be in the community. How much does the community value reading and writing skills?

Pirates? Historically didn't place reading and writing as high priority. Julian and Portia were most likely not taught until they were adults.

Barbarian tribes? Historically didn't care either. Lucio probably didn't learn to read until he became a mercenary or even until he was the Count. Look at Morga and tell me if she taught her son to read.

Do the people of Vesuvia value literacy? If we're looking at this historically - probably not. And even if they did, they don't have schools to teach people. Like we said earlier, unless you could afford a private tutor, you probably weren't taught much besides what your parents could teach you. People learned what they needed to get by, and that was about it. That was their standards for functional literacy.

(For MC, I would classify "dying and coming back to life and having to re-learn everything" in the same category as having to re-learn things after having a stroke. Strokes often produce reading difficulties. Here is a link for that)

In conclusion:

- Basically everyone in Vesuvia is functionally illiterate by today's standards.

- But by Vesuvia's standards, Muriel is functionally literate. He is just fine.

- Can he read scientific articles? Probably not. Half the time I can't either, tbh. Can he order some god damn smoked eel from the salesman or read a map? Yes. He can.

If you think Muriel is the ONLY ONE who is illiterate, you need to check your racial bias.

P.S. Just because someone is functionally illiterate doesn't mean they are not smart. I work with teens who fall into this category all the time, and they're not fucking stupid. Muriel knows his shit and now - so do you.