"Writing on the Bias" is Linda Brodkey's narrative about recalling her childhood and adolescent memories literacy. Throughout this narrative, Brodkey talks about her love of reading from a very young age; after she read every book in the children's library, she moved on to the adult library. In school, she'd read so far ahead that her teachers would actually tape the pages so she couldn't. She also goes on to compare her perfectionism in writing to her perfectionism in dance. She mentions that she would force herself to read books that she didn't even really like just because they were classics, and this ties into her theme of class, which I will be elaborating on.
Brodkey felt that since she was of the working-class, she had to read classic literature to make her feel smarter and more middle-class. I think this is a valid concern for someone who had very high ambitions for herself. To get into a university like she wanted to, it is necessary to be well-read, no matter which class you are from. The whole reason Brodkey got into art is because it "transcends class"; she didn't want to be associated with her own class and thought that art would aid in that mobility. However, her desire to transcend classes became an issue at home when she felt she could no longer could relate to certain family members.
Thats not all its about
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