Jerusalem and Athens Forum Essay Contest

Pleading Guilty: Dwindling Literacy in the Information Age

Yesterday, in the mid-afternoon, I was found guilty. The prosecutor was an intriguing older fellow by the name of T. S. Eliot, and his claim was this: Catherine Caulfield Corbin, age 19, is indubitably “distracted from distraction by distraction.”1

I scoffed. Surely, I could not be convicted of such an offense. But I refrained for a moment . . . How could I not be? To be an occupant of the Information Age is to be “distracted from distraction by distraction.” I will be the first to plead guilty. I do not think the way I used to.

I remember those days often. They were snowy . . . [and] spent dreaming of tending rabbits with Lennie, sneaking through the graveyard with Huck and Tom, and seething with resentment alongside Mr. Proctor. A dear little fox would inform me that, “Anything essential is invisible to the eyes,”2 and Bilbo would exhibit that heroes come in all different shapes and sizes. Atticus would impart that it is a sin not to protect the vulnerable at all costs. The bold and self-determined Randle McMurphy and the noble and just Aslan would teach, in varied manners, the principle of self-sacrifice. All this and more would occur as I sat snuggled up adjacent to a big window—only taking an occasional hiatus to gaze earnestly at the glistening flakes as they fell.

1  Thomas Stearns Eliot, Four Quartets, (San Diego, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1943), 17. 2  Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince, (Boston, Mariner Books, 2000), 63. These characters and their authors were apostles of sorts, whether or not it was their intention. Through these novels, the Lord spoke truth, beauty and goodness into my life—all before I even knew his name and his claim.

Even the most voracious readers have perceived a shift in recent years. It appears that we read differently now. Moreover, we think differently. In days gone by, I would remain absorbed in long stretches of prose, dominated by a call to gallivant further. That is rarely the case anymore. To read is to haul along a wayward mind and confront an indoctrinated will. The deep reading that was once innate has become an arduous task.

Novels are not solely objects to be studied in the English classes of adolescence. They are inwardly experiential modes of contemplation. Their purpose is to create for the reader an arena of liberation, an escape from reality that illuminates reality. Their realm, which stands parallel to ours, has a way of engaging our minds and sensibilities, cultivating connection and virtue.

The ramifications of the Information Age are explicit: attention atrophy, a buzzing brain and a diminished tolerance for contemplation. In other words, Mr. Eliot’s charge was warranted. We need the soulful ruminations of Lewis, Tolkien and Twain more now than ever.

Catherine Corbin ’22 (political science, biblical studies and history) Honorable Mention | excerpt

Is it Noise, News or Knowledge?

I have interacted with news content that reaffirms my worst beliefs about the opposing political party before brushing my teeth—as have my peers on the other end of the political spectrum. While it is clear this has degraded discourse and heightened tensions, less ink has been spilled exploring the impact on the pursuit of wisdom . . . In a world dominated by fear of tomorrow, biblical wisdom requires courage and perseverance.

Cam Grinnell ’22 (political science and economics)

Honorable Mention | excerpt Fact or Fiction: The Role of Humility in Seeking Wisdom

We love to know, and even more, we love when people see that we know. We’re all anxiously trying to absorb information. We use knowledge to prove our worth and prevent any embarrassing exposure . . . We seek such fulfillment because we are created to seek wisdom. Ah, wisdom. That troublesome, rather unattainable word that we place on a pedestal, only for the select few. Wisdom provides a contrast to our love of information.

Joanna Sheldon ’22 (history and English)

Illustration Carlos Eduardo Peixoto

Full versions of these abridged and excerpted essays are available at www.gordon.edu/jafessay

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