IntroductionThe way we define who we are is the direct result of what we know. "Literacy reflects contradictions and complexities in how we understand ourselves and construct roles for ourselves through language in that world. X." Since the arrival of the Feed in ____, the emphasis on the individual has become less central in our lives. This lack of focus has led to relationships that remain vulnerable and weakened. In this section we will consider the impact of declining literacy on the "Social Self". In basic terms, the Social Self is defined as how an individual interacts with the social world presented to him or her and how he or she approaches forming relationships. Individualism Throughout history, individualism has been key to the progress of humanity, including – most importantly – the spread of freedom. The world we live in has been significantly changed due to the individual's critical understanding of literacy. The alert and conscious use of the written word is what makes its claims on the world. “Emancipatory literacy is a necessary foundation for cultural action and freedom, a central aspect of what it means to be an autonomous, socially composed agent. X” This type of literature is used to empower the people who use it. It involves engaging in acts of writing and reading used to liberate humanity. How can anything change without the use of this emancipatory literacy? “We must write as if our lives depended on it. Before I Die" is a novel by Ernest J. Gaines. He understands the theory of emancipatory literacy through his character Jefferson. A young black prisoner on death row, Jefferson turns the racist mind of a white prison guard, Paul, especially through his behavior while in prison. Paul felt sympathy for Jefferson at a time when black people were greatly despised. It seems likely that not long after Jefferson's electrocution, Paul would have forgotten what Jefferson had taught him: that all people, regardless of race, are equal. However, Jefferson left behind his notebook in which he wrote his thoughts in the days before his death.