Rhetorical Analysis Of The Living Philosophies

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The Living Philosophies: The Reflections of Some Eminent Men and Women of Our Time (New York: Doubleday, 1990) is a collection of essays written by respectable people stating their thoughts on mankind. Jane Goodall is a scientist who has spent years researching chimpanzees. Through the choice of pronouns, negative vocabulary, and her personal perspective, Goodall is able to successfully portray her negative outlook on humans. Goodall decided to use “we” throughout her writing which allowed her to create a connection between the reader and the writing. Because Goodall has a negative attitude towards humans and their respect for other life forms, by the end of the excerpt the reader has a negative standpoint regarding the topic as well. Goodall is also able to emphasise the pessimistic standpoint through her word choice. Throughout the excerpt, Goodall uses words such as “brink of self-destruction,” “-and to kill,” “unfortunate,” and “selfishness” to emphasize that throughout history, …show more content…
Wiesel uses the “I” pronoun throughout his writing which allows the reader to remain neutral while reading the excerpt regarding human being’s actions. Wiesel acknowledges both the good and bad of the actions of people. He addresses the fact that there are “absurd killings” and “bursts of endless hate.” However, Wiesel also uses words like “potential for improvement” and “compassion.” This even use of negative and positive wording allows for a neutral feeling regarding the topic. Wiesel is able to point out the bad, however, is able to explain that he still has hope and that there is good in the world. Wiesel is one to talk about situations involving violence and mass killings due to the fact that he survived the Holocaust. This makes the reader want to believe what he says and listed to him in awe because of his past