Hero literacy narratives emphasize the individual rather than literacy acquisition. Often, literacy success is thought of just as understanding the material and how well literacy performance is when really there is a deeper meaning being literacy acquisition. Superiors have a large impact on younger peoples lives and these interactions have a lasting impact on their lives forever, whether it be a good or bad interaction.

Figures have a large impact on students lives, especially when they are younger. They shape they way these students view literacy success. When students are describing what made their literacy narrative either a positive or negative story, it often relates to how this certain person shaped it. “Figures who turned up mostly typically in peoples memories of literacy learning: older relatives, teachers, priests, supervisors…”.