Furthermore, it also functions as a shield against advances in society that may appear as oppression. If society were to hinder an individual's knowledge by denying them the right to education and literacy, it would give society a better chance of taking advantage of that individual. Literacy is what distinguishes man from every other species. As the article "The Consequences of Literacy" states, literacy or language is what "enabled man to achieve a form of social organization whose extent and complexity were different those of animals” (Goody 304). What individuals lose is the possibility of being oppressed because of what they do not know. Even today, the literacy rate is considered important in determining whether a nation is developed or not. This continues to drive a wedge between those who are literate and those who are not. Coming back to the aforementioned quote from “The Consequences of Literacy,” literacy essentially distinguishes man from animals. This characterizes illiterates as mere animals. There are still many societies that do not emphasize reading or writing proficiency. Would they be qualified as primordial? Wouldn't this pave the way for a greater divide between two societies? While literate individuals have the opportunity to expand their knowledge, those who are illiterate have no basis to pave the way to