The term "critical literacy" refers to use of the technologies of print and other media of communication to analyze, critique, and transform the norms, rule systems, and practices governing the social fields of everyday life (A. Luke, 2004). Since Freire's (1970) educational projects in Brazil, approaches to critical literacy have been developed through feminist, postcolonial, poststructuralist, and critical race theory; critical linguistics and cultural studies; and, indeed, rhetorical and cognitive models. This article traces the lineage of critical literacy from Freire through critical pedagogies and discourse analysis. It discusses the need for a contingent definition of critical literacy, given the increasingly sophisticated nature of texts and discourses.