Rollercoaster in Disguise

Gutenberg Elegies: A Rollercoaster in Disguise

Having spent the last two months in a constant state of indecision I think I am finally at peace. However, my reason for feeling this way is far from what most people would think, myself included. To say the least, the Gutenberg Elegies were somewhat like a roller coaster ride for me. In fact, I believe that is the most accurate description of the experiences I shared with my class as well as the book itself. Like most roller coasters, my ride with the Elegies started off with a lot of apprehension and general feeling of not wanting to continue. Things got worse as we figuratively climbed closer to the initial peak and that’s when things first started to change. “The Paper Chase”, had the most profound effect on me. Looking back on it now I realize that Sven took the road very few people have/will ever take. By voicing his concerns, while risking the label of a pretentious literati, Birkert’s was able to show me how much he truly cares about literature. Thus, providing a stronger argument than any statistics could provide. “The Paper Chase” made me aware of this because the stories of his childhood were able to tear down the wall I had build up based on premature judgment; a wall that had prevented me from thinking clearly and objectively on what had been presented already. The ride only seemed to get better as it went on, and I even found myself in full agreement with Birkerts at times. Which took a lot considering how I felt about him after reading the prefaces.

One chapter in which I very much agreed with Birkerts in was, “the Woman in the Garden.” I believe it had a bigger impact on me due to my long term love of reading, yet mild loathing of writing. I knew immediately what he meant when he said, “the readers state” and thinking about technology robbing us of this experience I became very much a supporter of Birkerts argument.

However, as we all know, roller coasters always leave one last obstacle for the end and that remained true for this figurative journey. “Perseus Unbound” is the chapter in which Birkerts discussions impacts on education, and his views of a watered down system clashed heavily with mine. He refers to the effect of increased information as, “an expansion of the short-term memory banks and a correlative atrophying of long-term memory.”(139, Perseus Unbound) Having personally benefitted from various technological training tools I became defensive again. Ultimately, upon reflecting I realized I partially misinterpreted the points he was trying to relay and as a result finished the book knowing my analysis was as unbiased as possible

While The Gutenberg Elegies may not change society as a whole, it had a profound effect on me personally. I feel a sense of enlightenment knowing that I will no longer accept all technology as good, but rather weigh the costs and rewards. In doing so, I will be able to keep up with the rest of society, but not lose sight of the true purpose behind literature.