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Rhetorical Analysis of Write or Wrong Identity by Emily Vallowe

Rhetoric analysis, APA, College
2 pages, 1 source

Doubts and uncertainty are something that sooner or later haunts every writer. They might even terrorize students who work on typical academic assignments. The rhetoric analysis is a type of paper that might give plenty of a hard time for any author despite his or her writing skills or educational backgrounds. That's why we are proud to present a free rhetoric analysis sample piece on Write or Wrong Identity by Emily Vallowe. Apart from raising questions of a writer's identity crisis, this example showcases the most effective approaches to analyzing literary techniques and writing devices in other authors' works. Feel free to use it as a source of inspiration and a practical model you can follow while writing your own rhetoric analysis paper.

Summary

In Write or Wrong Identity, Emily Vallowe takes a retrospective point of view in analyzing her identity as a writer. She recalls how her kindergarten teacher pinpointed this quality in her, and it became an important part of her since then. Nonetheless, for a greater part of the essay, she questions whether she possesses the quality naturally or was it only manifested in her because of her teacher's opinion of her. Based on the structuring of the article, Vallowe's text is a self-focused journal. Through it and in retrospect, she intends to determine where her qualities as a writer developed. From a broader perspective, however, Vallowe means for readers to think critically about their own talents, and how they came to declare these attributes, as opposed to others, unique gifts.

Rhetorical Analysis

In order to impart to the reader the need for self-reflection, Vallowe uses some relevant rhetorical techniques. The first evident style in the text is the simplified diction that she uses throughout the essay. The words are simplified to allow more people to understand her point of view. Nonetheless, Vallowe's article is remarkably impactful, considering how it implicates such a simple matter as 'talent' and expounds on it in a rather complex way. Furthermore, she incorporates essential rhetoric devices that make her article interesting and thought-provoking. For example, Vallowe consistently used monologues to aid her readers in understanding her inner-thoughts more closely. For starters, "What, I have been a writer my entire life" is a monologue where she engages in deep reflection about her talent (Vallowe 74). Second, the author uses personification to describe specific attributes, which makes Vallowe's views more clear and easier for the reader to understand. For instance, the phrase "…my brain doesn't see these other things" embodies her use of this rhetoric device (Vallowe 76). By giving the brain the qualities of another thing [eyes], Vallowe drives her point more clearly to the reader. Consequently, the incorporation of stylistic devices and simplified diction among other rhetoric devices enables Vallowe to achieve better and more effective delivery of her ideas to the reader.

Application of Vallowe's Styles to Own Essay

I can use some of the rhetoric strategies that Vallowe employed in my own essays. Specifically, I am interested in using her monologue technique to add emphasis to ideas, especially when working on journal essays. Furthermore, I was impressed by how Vallowe used such devices as personification to conveniently relay ideas to readers in a somewhat simplified way. Also, I would like to adopt her neutral tone, which is impactful in enabling readers to understand concepts from different points of view. Finally, I would adopt Vallowe's strategy in starting essays. Specifically, in Write or Wrong Identity, she uses a hook that effectively grasps readers' attention and engages them in reading the entire text.

Work Cited

  1. Vallowe, Emily. "Write or Wrong Identity." Norton Field Guide to Writing. (2010): pp.73-79.
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