Matt Fuller Assignment 1B Reflection Section HA - McGough September 18, 2013 Rhetoric in E.B.

Whites Comment It is well-known that E.B. White was a respected, decorated author. The awards he won and his multitude of well-known works including Charlottes Web only strengthen the argument that White was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. This idea, though, makes his piece Comment somewhat disturbing, in that it was spoken with great authority. Obviously white was not entirely accurate with his statements that reading would become non-existent by the late 20th century; reading does, of course, still exist. However, there are signs today that Whites fear could become a reality. It is therefore important to analyze what White saw in 1940, and to draw parallels to the signs of illiteracy in society today. Given the emergence of texting and social media, which are literacy killers, Whites words still have great importance and relevance today. White wrote his Comment as a warning to those in academia, who would carry literacy into the rest of society, and the wealthy, educated readers of The New Yorker, in which the piece was published. He wanted to stress the idea that no matter how visually-oriented information was becoming, being able to read and analyze the written word will always be vital to the survival of society as a whole. White describes a society in which all people are reliant upon a few enlightened souls who are still able to read, and that these literate ones would be treated, in all likelihood, as gods, being given special food andspecial accommodations (White). White desperately wanted to avoid this sort of dystopia, and therefore made the very bold statements that he does in Comment, giving a very concrete view of what he believes the consequences of illiterate masses would be. He further strengthens his argument by aligning his views with that of a university president, obviously a legitimate source. Whites message was effective given the times in which he made it; in a country full of fear and on the brink of war, people would likely be less focused on the written word and more so on audio-visual presentations, such as television, radio, and telephones. Whites words still have meaning today. Reproducing this work in modern textbook shows just how relatable his fears are, even over 70 years later. Present-day society is at a crossroads of information. The written word is indeed still around, but information is more audio-visual than at any other point in history. Texting, social media, and television are all factors that make people less inclined to become excellent readers, able to thoroughly analyze written works. It is far easier to write and read a simple message of 140 characters or less, and people support whatever is easier. It is for this reason that society still needs to take Whites words seriously; although the

written word is not dead yet, it may very well be within the next 50 years, given the mass appeal, popularity, and availability of easy-to-understand audio-visual information. Despite these negative factors, Whites rhetorical message does still serve its purpose in 2013. Like in 1940, people today are somewhat fearful. War is widespread, and humankind possesses the means to wipe out entire cities with, quite literally, the push of a button. People are willing to listen to someone with words of warning, and Whites words in Comment serve as that warning. While the catastrophe that White describes does not necessarily involve mass loss of life, it certainly would change society for the worse. People can still hear this message today and make a concentrated effort to save the written word, regardless of how dominant audio-visual information becomes. Whites Comment is an ageless piece that possesses a great warning, and has great power to keep a vital part of society intact.

Work Cited White, E.B. Comment The New Yorker. C. 1940. Atwan, Robert. Convergences. Boston: Bedford/St. Martinss, 2009. Print.