608 CCC 62:4 / JUNE 2011 CCC 62:4 / JUNE 2011 Kara Poe Alexander Successes, Victims, and Prodigies: “Master” and “Little” Cultural Narratives in the Literacy Narrative Genre This article examines the “master” and “little” cultural narratives students perform in literacy narratives. Results show that students incorporate the literacy-equals-success master narrative most often, yet they also include in little narratives ﬁgures such as the hero, victim, and child prodigy. I consider how these ﬁndings can improve instruction on this topic and conclude with pedagogical recommendations. Third grade was haunted by state-mandated writing portfo- lios. Pressures on the teachers and changes in the curriculum because of KERA 1 became evident to me, even in the third grade. The hamburger method, brainstorming, and pre-writing work- sheets took away any enjoyment I had with writing. I neglected the pencil and paper outside of the classroom and cringed at the mention of writing. Writing was no longer a leisurely activity for me but a required assignment. Being forced to write took away whatever joy was once there for me and replaced it with contempt. I wanted to give up writing all together. Rebekah, ﬁrst-year composition student Copyright © 2011 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.