I chose a piece that satirizes drunk-driving. It is a very serious topic yet the writer uses a flippant tone. This is unexpected therefore it works very well because it shocks the audience. The use of litotes also makes the reader challenge the writer. This is a brilliant device because when a writer can get the reader to argue their case for them, it is a winner. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
Also, this tonal device coincides with the use of sarcasm. The author encourages drunk-driving instead of discouraging it in order to prove a point without the expected, blunt delivery of a warning. I quote, "Everyday, the news is filled with drunken teens that are killed in vicious encounters with sober drivers, light posts and even trees!" This is similar to the technique that Jonathan Swift used in The Modest Proposal. Like Swift who explicitly says that consuming children is the answer, the writer of Zero Tolerance for Sober-Driving states that throwing back a few cocktails before taking the wheel is the safest idea.
I found these rhetorical devices very effective and the approach of taking the nonsensical stance, clever. As a reader, you naturally disagree with the illogical statements and are convinced that driving drunk is dangerous and idiotic without the frank delivery.
Check out the essay, "Zero Tolerance for Sober-Driving"
http://www.essayjudge.com/document_detail.php?doc_id=164
No comments:
Post a Comment