The greatness of Miller's accomplishment [in A Canticle for Leibowitz] lies not in the mere telling of his marvelous story. After all, television, the movies, and hundreds of science fiction yarns have told the story of Man's folly several times well and many times poorly. And, while A Canticle does have nice touches of humor and irony that the others may lack, the narrative is not significantly above the level of the rest. Rather, the achievement lies in Miller's skillful handling of thought-provoking ideas. While dealing with potentially sensational plot materials (the possible end of the world and all that sort of thing), he has placed most of his emphasis on the moral issues of Man's way—his life and survival.

Miller's narrative continually returns to the conflicts between the scientist's search for truth and the state's power…. It is in this area of thought-provoking concern that Miller excels. The conflict goes on, right to the very end of the novel with some men never stopping in their speculations about the implications of their acts, and with others interested only in the pursuit of abstract, scientific truths. These latter are repeatedly used by the power-seekers in the world of Miller's story. The conflict is age-old but presented in new terms. Students will have no difficulties relating these concerns to the problems they are encountering in their courses dealing with the current post-Oppenheimer period, the period during which there has been so much public consideration of the implications of science.

Nor are the characters mere puppets, playing the traditional roles in the old drama. The successive abbots of the monastery, for instance, are each an individual with a clearly defined personality. The abbots mirror their religious times to a certain degree, ranging from the very devout and religiously harsh to the apparently convivial, outgoing of the last period. Each, however, is most devoted to the preservation of the Memorabilia, the purpose of the Order. In this latter connection, the way in which the world regards the monks undergoes an interesting series of changes. Early, they are seen by society as a group of eccentrics keeping something nobody should want, later as keeping something nobody does want, finally as hoarders of something the world needs. Sound familiar? History students will find the cycles Miller describes fascinating. Some of the literal-minded will contest a few of Miller's possibilities about the future. No matter: their objections will be in the same vein as those who contest that … [Winston Smith] in 1984 could never be made to do the things he does. More important than these minor differences will be the fact that the novel, in one way or another, is one that involves its readers.

There are countless kinds of things that can be done with the study of the book. Students can analyze the successive presentations of the abbots' characters, attempting to account for them in terms of the story's meaning. Students can also study and attempt to explain the names of some of the characters…. (pp. 1043-44)

The novel would complement admirably a study of Brave New World, 1984, and other such well-told projections into the future. In addition to the literary study, there could be some composition work—the analysis of the differences and similarities of the works, the presentation of the characters, the relative plausibility of the events described. The novel would serve effectively in interesting science-oriented students; it would complement studies going on in other curriculum areas. It has Latin for the language student; science and mathematics for the technical; character, theme, and plot for the literary; and speculation for the humanist. Certainly, a teacher should be able to get all of his students involved in one way or another with the book.

In addition to the study of areas related to the text, there are other, more text-directed activities. Some of these include Miller's use of geography (reminiscent of Benet's "By the Waters of Babylon"), his description of the development of the nations in the ages that pass, the evolution of the monastery with suggested reasons for the growth described. These are not mere busywork studies; they are concerns vital to the understanding of a carefully-wrought work by a competent artist. Analyses of them will aid in the understanding of the book as well as in the more important area: the development of skills we care about in our readers.

Learning experiences of these types reinforce learning that is acquired in other quarters. For instance, the student's work in English and science is affected when he can read Richard Wilbur's "The Death of a Toad." His awareness of the written word is enhanced as is his understanding of evolution. A Canticle for Leibowitz has the same kind of reinforcement qualities with regard to much of what the student reads in magazines and newspapers as well as what he is studying in other classes. In addition, the work is one of genuine literary merit from the contemporary scene.

The novel does not, however, offer a completely easy time for the teacher. It is, first of all, a fairly difficult piece of reading. In addition, like any worthwhile book, it has an area of concern that might present some difficulty to the teacher. Much of the student's understanding of Miller's achievement will necessitate his grasping of the Catholic environment of much of the action. But, as teachers have for generations handled the similar problem in Chaucer study, so can they explain and help students understand Miller's backdrop for the story. It matters not that a large part of Miller's purpose may lie in some personal opinions about the Church; what does matter is his effective presentation of Man's dilemma so that the high school student can understand. Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz is a challenging contemporary novel worthy of inclusion in today's curriculum. (p. 1044)