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“By the meaningless sign linked to the meaningless sound we have built the shape and meaning of Western man” Marshall McLuhan, Gutenberg Galaxy (1962). |
“Literacy: The Medium and the Message” Ideas, Feb
1 & 8, 1988
Read Section 1 – Pg. 1 – 9 and work through the following
probes:
1. Highlight and list any unfamiliar words. Work with classmates (after
you’ve finished reading) to help develop an understanding of these
terms.
2. What did McLuhan mean when he uttered the quote at the top of the page?
3. The choice of the word “orality” to describe oral-based cultures is very important. Why?
4. How has the role of poetry changed from oral to Literate society?
5. According to supporters of the Literacy Hypothesis, why is the phonetic alphabet (versus a logographic or syllabic alphabet) the key to more abstract thought?
6. What sorts of activities was the mind “freed up” to perform once literacy took hold?
7. Outline the arguments of Havelock, deKerckhove, Bruner, Narasimhan and Bennett (no relation). Make sure you provide examples to support the outlines.