of paradox and word play, and his defence of the Catholic Church and rejection of modernity made a profound impact on McLuhan, who would himself convert to Catholicism in 1937. In later years, McLuhan was fond of saying that, as a young man, he detested the modern, industrial age— finding ammunition for his views not only in Chesterton but in such Radical Tory writers of the 19th century as Carlyle and Ruskin. He never lost his distaste for the modern age, but he eventually realized his only defence was to try to understand it—especially its media of communication.
Education
After completing an M.A. in English at the University of Manitoba, McLuhan went to Cambridge University to study English as an undergraduate in 1934. It was the most
