Timed Writing: Rhetorical Analysis


Read the prompt carefully. Craft a strong thesis that fully responds to the prompt. Write full body paragraphs (6-10 sentences) that contain direct quotes and commentary that develops and expands your argument about the rhetorical choices and message of the author.

The following passage is excerpted from the 1990 newspaper article “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman. At the time of the article’s publication, Fridman was a graduate student at Harvard University and a member of Harvard’s Society of Nerds and Geeks. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Fridman makes to develop his argument.
In your response you should do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.
Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious.
A geek, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off heads of live chickens. It is a telling fact about our language and our culture that someone dedicated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to a freak biting the head off a live chicken.
Even at a prestigious academic institution like Harvard, anti-intellectualism is rampant: Many students are ashamed to admit, even to their friends, how much they study. Although most students try to keep up their grades, there is a minority of undergraduates for whom pursuing knowledge is the top priority during their years at Harvard. Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized.
The same thing happens in U.S. elementary and high schools. Children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than get wasted at parties with their classmates, become social outcasts. Ostracized for their intelligence and refusal to conform to society’s anti-intellectual values, many are deprived of a chance to learn adequate social skills and acquire good communication tools.
Enough is enough.
Nerds and geeks must stop being ashamed of who they are. It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarten to the grave. For America’s sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought.
There are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S. In most industrialized nations, not least of all our economic rivals in East Asia, a kid who studies hard is lauded and held up as an example to other students.
In many parts of the world, university professorships are the most prestigious and materially rewarding positions. But not in America, where average professional ballplayers are much more respected and better paid than faculty members of the best universities.
How can a country where typical parents are ashamed of their daughter studying mathematics instead of going dancing, or of their son reading Weber* while his friends play baseball, be expected to compete in the technology race with Japan or remain a leading political and cultural force in Europe? How long can America remain a world-class power if we constantly emphasize social skills and physical prowess over academic achievement and intellectual ability?

Answer:

Explanation:

In the passage from “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman, he is informing the public about America’s lack of support for the highly intelligent and those who seek knowledge instead of having it forced upon them. This is causing America to fall behind other countries academically. Fridman develops this argument through his creation of parallel sentence structure and the language within them, and comparing the people within society.

           Fridman’s main purpose is to emphasize how tragic it is that most people do not wish to be educated in America. Throughout the passage Fridman uses small segments of colloquial language that have a powerful impact. He mainly uses the colloquial language to describe the majority of people who do not seek knowledge and value education. In the second paragraph Fridman wrote, “a freak biting the head off a live chicken” (10). That was referencing how Americans have changed the meaning of the word “geek” to make fun of someone who is intelligent. This could also represent the irony through which the uneducated American may not know what certain words mean, therefore making up their own definitions and create offensive slang terms from those words. When Fridman is giving the true definition of the word “geek” he uses the word “freak” to define it. The word “freak” stands out and will stick with the reader and by making the comparison between those who are smart to freaks it represents how they are perceived. They seem as though they are outcasts. He wants to make it clear that it should not be this way. Those who are smart are not outcasts and should not be treated as such; instead they should be valued and respected.

           The seventh through ninth paragraphs have many comparisons that not only force the reader to think but also enhance Fridman’s argument that American society is slipping from an intellectual standpoint. He compares the US to East Asia (35-40) and baseball players to college professors (41-46). This highlights his idea that as a society it is vital to change our views and morals. America is supposed to be the best of the best, but it will not stay that way if its people do not value education like its competitors. Americans look up to baseball players as idols instead of college professors. Fridman is pushing for a change and ending the passage with the comparisons is important because the reader begins to make their own connections within their own mind and examples, therefore believing Fridman is correct in his reasoning.

           The first, third, and fifth paragraphs are three examples of parallel sentence structure which compare the minority of those valuing education and the majority of those who do not. The first paragraph has the phrase, “intellectually curious and academically serious” (4). It is important to note the parallelism is at the end of the paragraph verses the beginning. Having the parallelism at the end adds greater emphasis to the phrase as the reader transitions into the next paragraph. It is the final idea the reader reads as they conclude that paragraph. The parallelism adds a smooth transition into the next idea and paragraph. In the third paragraph there is a comparison of nerds and athletes, it says “nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” (17-18). Again, this sentence comes at the end of the paragraph which emphasizes Fridman’s point that those with intellectual ability are ignored while those with athletic ability are praised. The emphasis demonstrates how prominent this issue is in American society. At the end of the fifth paragraph there is an example of a parallel sentence that offers a problem and solution. It states, “Enough is enough” (28). It is brief and to the point which is Fridman’s purpose in writing it. He is stressing the importance that society needs to stop shaming its wise minority. This furthers his argument that a change is necessary.

           Throughout the passage, Fridman uses colloquial language within parallelism and comparisons to persuade his audience that “nerds” are essential to society and that more people should strive towards being one or else America will no longer be a great academic nation.

Before McCandless leaves Atlanta in early summer for the West,
A.
he shares his travel plans with his family and friends
B.
he applies to law school, planning to begin school that fall
C.
he makes sure his parents cannot contact him and leaves without telling them
D.
he thoroughly prepares for his trip, mapping out exactly the places on his itinerary and how long he will stay there
E.
he calls his sister and tells her she must keep his plans secret

How did North America become panem

What is pony boy doing at the beginning of chapter 1

Which description best defines a paraphrase?

A. a rewrite of another author's words or ideas in your own words
B. a short retelling of the key points of a text
C. a copy of another author’s original words that appear in a text
D. a mix of quotations and rewrites of another author’s own words

What steps should you take to reach a conclusion about a character's perspective?
A. make inferences about the character's actions, compare them to how others react, draw conclusions
B. make inferences, find details to support conclusions, make conclusions
C. compare one character's actions to the other characters, look for emotions, and come to a conclusion
D. find details describing the character, make inferences based on those details, and then come to a conclusion​

Fad diets are weight-loss programs that enjoy short-term popularity and are sold based on a marketing gimmick that appeals to the public’s desire and fears. How can you tell if a program is a fad diet

in the book tuesday with morries what did morrie think about self pity

In which way is the media a social media pressure that has an effect on your sexualit? I need four(4) examples to explain my answer

has anyone read bud,not buddy? chapters 1 and 2 i have questions on it.

2
What does Don Pepe's lesson to Nayeli in paragraph 13 reveal about their
relationship?
A. He was protective of her and did not want to worry her about life's difficulties.
B. He thought she would be able to understand complicated ideas.
C. He found her annoying and wanted to limit their conversations.
D. He was interested in unusual trivia and wanted to share it with her.

Supplementry Angles ​

What is a text's main idea?

A. supporting evidence for the topic
B. the topic of the paragraph
C. a statement about or way of looking at the topic
D. detailed information about the topic

(this is for plato/edmentum) ​

What are the central ideas of "Eileen Collins – NASA's First Female Shuttle

Pick two 2
She considered the jobs of other astronauts and chose the one she thought was the most exciting.
She followed the path of her training and advanced within her field through hard work. - no response given
She followed the path of her training and advanced within her field through hard work.
She created a new position for herself that best suited the skills she already had. - correct
She created a new position for herself that best suited the skills she already had.
She received input about positions she would be best suited to take from her mentors. - no response given
She received input about positions she would be best suited to take from her mentors.

Rebecca crow travel writer

Which sentence supports the idea that tattoos are more common than they used to be? A. More young people than older people get tattoos, B. About 40 million Americans have tattoos today. C. Three times more people have tattoos than they did 70 years ago. D. A study found that one in eight Americans has tattoos. ​

helppppppppppppppp plzzzzzzzzz

Sid saw the ball floating through the air. He knew it was coming to him. He
positioned himself where he thought it was going to land. Then a large cloud
moved in the sky. The sun blazed and Sid couldn't see anything. "Thump!" the ball
landed right in front of Sid. Coach yelled across the field, "Pick it up, Sid! Throw it
to second." Sid couldn't see the ball in front of him. All he could see were spots.
The coach threw his hat on the ground and continued to yell, "Pick it up, Sid!" *
Second Person
Third Person Objective
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient

Please help! I’ll MARK you as BRAINLIST
- please rewrite the this sentence below in a basic easy way to understand.
— Well being is very wide ranged construct with mental, physical and social components.
-
Check grammars!

50 POINTS! Read this passage from "The American Dream."

One of the first things we notice in this dream is an amazing universalism. It does not say some men, but it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men, which includes black men. It does not say all Gentiles, but it says all men, which includes Jews. It does not say all Protestants, but it says all men, which includes Catholics.



Which statement explains how the sentence structure contributes to the passage?



A. Sentences are somewhat long, which makes the ideas stand out in the passage.


B. Sentences are similar in length, which contributes to the rhythm of the passage.


C. Sentences are somewhat short, which makes the ideas stand out in the passage.


D. Sentences are different lengths, which contributes to the rhythm of the passage.

I really need help please help, anyone

how do scout and dill react to toms treatment by the prosecutor

Type the correct word in each blank.
A organism is an organism that consists of one cell.
A. organism is an organism that consists of more than one cell.

NEED HELP QUICKLY!!!! 50 POINTS IF YOU ANSWER!!!!
Read the prompt, then type your answer in the box.

Review Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and Americas First Bookmobile. Analyze how two central ideas are developed in the text. Make sure to support your analysis of each central idea with key detail from the text.

Anyone else done this Beowulf comic strip project before, I'm super confused on the story line can anyone give me a quick summary :

I writing a song tell me what you think

Layin here thinkin bout how fast the days have gone by I’m now 16
and it feels weird and I don’t know why
I’ve lost so many friends and gained so many new
but no one can replace you

You taught me things that no one else could
and now I miss you more than I thought that I would
I know that you really care about me,
Even though I'm past 15,
I know that your not by my side,
Every second of the day, and night
cause things, they always change
Nothing stays new
Days, months, and years go by and were just passing through

You can tell from her (accent/ascent/assent) that she is from Texas.

The men were (all ready/already) exhausted from the battle.

Colonel Travis ordered his troops to (cease/seize) firing.

The hopelessness of the situation does not (distract/detract) from the Texans' bravery.

By the end of the battle, hundreds lay (deceased/diseased) on the ground.

Santa Anna's army used ladders in their (accent/ascent/assent) of the Alamo's walls.

The Mexican general tried to (illicit/elicit) a surrender from the defenders.

The reinforcements arrived (latter/later) than expected.

The soldiers were (all ready/already) for the attack.

Travis worried about the civilians in the Alamo, but they did not (distract/detract) him from his goal Santa Anna's army tried to (cease/seize) the Alamo by force.

A few soldiers were (deceased/diseased) and too weak to fight.​

President George W. Bush’s speech to the troops on the USS Abraham Lincoln
Our mission continues. Al-Qaida is wounded, not destroyed. The scattered cells of the terrorist network still operate in many nations, and we know from daily intelligence that they continue to plot against free people. The proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland — and we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike.

The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide. No act of the terrorists will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. Their cause is lost. Free nations will press on to victory.

Other nations in history have fought in foreign lands and remained to occupy and exploit. Americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home. And that is your direction tonight. After service in the Afghan and Iraqi theaters of war — after 100,000 miles, on the longest carrier deployment in recent history — you are homeward bound. Some of you will see new family members for the first time — 150 babies were born while their fathers were on the Lincoln. Your families are proud of you, and your nation will welcome you.

How does the sentence "Americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home" support the central idea of the speech?

It furthers the notion that Americans want nothing to do with a war against terrorists.
It supports the idea that American troops will not occupy another country after defeating the enemy.
It supports the point that the war is an ongoing effort that cannot be won overnight.
It contributes to the notion that being a soldier is physically and emotionally demanding work.

What text structure is used in this passage?

Edith was born the oldest of five children. When she was three, her family moved to London. At age eight, she was sent to school, where she discovered her talent for art. By the time she was twelve, she had sold several paintings. At fifteen, she held her first art exhibition.

A. chronological order

B. cause and effect

C. comparison-contrast

D. problem-solution

Please help no files though

What's the most important thing about poetry in one paragraph

5. Why is the leaf Saeng carries important in the excerpt?​