The Queer Art Of Failure Rhetorical Analysis

Words: 1050
Pages: 5

Revolution is a concept that intrigues us all. The practical see it as being threatening, while the naive see it as being hopeful. Children perfectly exemplify those fascinated with revolting against the boundaries placed in their way, so it is no wonder that various animated film-makers are taking advantage of this in their movies. Judith Halberstam brings this topic to light in the excerpt “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation” from her novel “The Queer Art of Failure.” Within this text, the author asserts that animated filmmakers purposefully exhibit themes of defiance against the stereotypical views of society in an attempt to reach out to young viewers. Halberstam decided to write this excerpt in order to warn children and young adults …show more content…
It is common practice for most to dismiss animated movies as being childish, so for Halberstam to prove her point, she first has to overcome this rigid stereotype. To do so, she relies on the rhetorical strategy of diction to give her piece a sophisticated tone. When discussing various children’s movies, she writes that Dory from Finding Nemo “represents a kind of eccentric form of knowing which allows her to swim circles around the rather tame and conservative Marlin” and that Ginger from Chicken Run “learns to think with others and to work for a more collective futurity” (275). In both of these examples, the author describes the plot of an animated film in an incredibly formal manner. This paradox of using “adult” terms when discussing “childrens’” movies makes the audience reconsider their initial perception of these animations. Since they can be, and have been, analyzed in extreme detail using sophisticated word-choice, the reader starts to distinguish animated films as being more relevant than they originally believed. Through the use of formal diction, the author is able to emphasize that it is important to analyze animated movies because they often shed light on typical adult themes. Therefore, Halberstam uses diction effectively to fortify her argument and make her writing more …show more content…
Queer individuals such as children crave the concepts of “rebellion” and transformation. They want to see revisions made to the rigid societal norms that dictate our every thought and decision. Halberstam believes that filmmakers realize this and purposefully implement subtle themes of change into their movies in order to directly appeal to their child audience. This belief of hers is one she wants young people to be aware of, and by writing this piece, she hoped to accomplish just that. In conclusion, the fact that she uses such formal language both helps and hurts the author to get her message across to her