Ryan Norton Assignment 1C Summary and Response Section HB- McGough September 18,2013 Comment Reading is currently not

the most popular pastime for young Americans; most teenagers would rather play video games and tweet their friends rather than pick up a book. E. B. White was greatly concerned by this development six decades ago, so he wrote a Comment that was recently reproduced for college readers. A lot can be said about this comment made by E. B. White. As for how it may be stated, it is probably best done as a response with a preceding summary, so it begins. E. B. White claims that a possible character called the "Last Reader" will come represent a small, superior, percentage of people who continue to read after technology advances. A reference to the machinations of bees and the servitude to their queen, or higher power, strongly implies that this character is of a higher standing than those around them. The author seems to believe that technology will come to outdate reading and people will either lose interest in reading. This mysterious character is the exception to this loss. Those who are able, must be ready and qualified enough to teach this one to continue a tradition, almost lost, that is reading. I believe that E. B. White's comment makes absurd claims. Why is it that the one who continues reading would be on such a level that others should bow to them? I see no support for this assumption. I wholly disagree with the author's claim; if the past is anything to learn from, it is often those who possess more knowledge that end up serving a brute. A classic, and well understood example, is when the so called nerd must do the homework of some athlete. This is one of the most common examples, but it is also a thin argument because it assumes that many athletes are incapable of a relevant thought. Then again, it also assumes that reading is directly related to intelligence, but that is a little too far in depth. As to stay on topic, it is also unethical or immoral for one with the gift of intelligence to abuse it by forcing or even letting people serve them. I insist that intelligence is a burden; for those who have it, should use it to benefit everyone. Any that may carry this burden should not, in good conscience, be able watch as the world degrades. If this character truly were of a higher intelligence or standing, there would be nothing keeping them from making the world better through teachings. Just as well, I don't see how the idea of technology overshadowing reading comes to mind; technology seems to coincide with reading for the time being. Information may be more accessible, but that only makes it easier for one to find something to read. In order for technology to progress, society must learn and understand how computers work, correct? Yes, that will most likely involve reading about the mechanisms of a computer and inferring as to how to create a higher efficiency for the existing components. As far as I can see, reading will be intertwined with technology until our technology can upgrade and improve itself. That day, however, scares me; that would be a story for another time though. Though without reading being a common practice, technology would soon falter and society would regress. I will disagree once more with E. B. White by formally stating that technological advances

depend on reading and generally involve reading whether it be stories or just a dialogue, and that reading will not disappear anytime soon. I find this quote equivalent to a joke given the current context. Even though the comment may sound fancy as it is read, it appears to fall apart under analysis. A character created for the prediction made by this comment shows traits which I hope would not be tolerated in the future and a claim induced by a fear of the unknown or new technology of the time was irrelevant. By defining reading as all text instead of only including books, this piece loses its importance and even credibility. With this, Comment can be construed as offensive as its claims imply situations that, should they come to pass, represent a weakness in humanity and the degradation of the world as we know it.

Works Cited E. B. White. "Comment." Convergences: Themes, Texts, Images for Composition. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Beford/St. Martin's, 2009. 60.