Analysis Of Intellectualism By Graff

Many people disregard the idea of young people being able to learn aspects of intellectualism through worldly experiences. When it comes to the modern idea of being intellectual, most people believe that subjects such as history or science, have more value than fashion or sports. Few people are able to realize the connection between academic intellectualism and street smarts. Students who have a hard time learning general concepts in classrooms tend to have an easier time recognizing, and learning those same concepts in the real world often without even realizing it. For example, take a child who has a difficult time focusing on history lessons in the classroom, but enjoys learning about the background of football teams and their players;

With his use of easy to understand language and relatable stories, Graff makes the reader feel as if they are a part of the story. Although, there may not be a lot of supporting evidence for Graff’s point of view, he comes across as very knowledgeable on the subject. He uses logos and sense to convey his point of view to the readers. By using examples from his own life, Graff makes his point of view more believable and relatable. As the reader, the use of his personal stories helped me form an attachment to this topic. I felt that the author became more trustworthy as a source when disclosing personal information about his childhood. Even though he did not source other references, because of his personal connection to the topic, I felt as though he has a good understanding of this issue. Graff comes across as confident, but also humble and understanding to his audience. Through his writing, Graff clearly portrays that he believes true intelligence comes from a place of desire to learn, not necessarily from aptitude. This is a belief that he made evident throughout this essay. He confirms his beliefs with the statement “Real intellectuals turn any subject, however lightweight it may seem into grist for their mill through the thoughtful questions they bring to it, whereas a dullard will find a way to to drain the interest out of the richest subject.” (Graff 265) By saying this, Graft makes the argument that while academic intelligence is important, it can sometimes be dull and lifeless. He believes that you should not base a student’s intellectualism on how well he learns in the classroom, but on their personal drive. He successfully reaches the reader on an emotional level by giving personal stories and testaments from childhood to young adulthood. By doing this, the reader respects his opinion on the matter, even though Graff has no credentials relating to this topic. The author