Lawton, a rural town of 3000 residents, recently experienced a highway diversion that isolated the town, causing a sharp drop in the number of visitors. While the Lawton community welcomes the peace, it has caused concern for the economic future of the town. In response to this, the mayor of the town, Cr Alexandra Wiley, published a column in the Lawton’s local newspaper attempting to persuade the residents of Lawton the town needs revitalization in order to maintain financial stability. Wiley contends that Lawton is “on the way to being a ghost town” and they should build a “spectacular piece of architecture” to boost tourism. Wiley attempts to persuade her audience from the outset by using inclusive language, addressing the local readers …show more content…
This serves to impart a sense of fear in the reader by portraying an extreme scenario as highly probable conjuring a sense of urgency and evoking an emotional response in the reader to find a quick solution to this imminent problem. She then blatantly states, “we need [the tourist’s] money”, bluntly asserting to the reader that without tourism Lawton will not be able to survive. This serves to elicit a realisation in the audience’s minds that tourism is necessary to save the town and that peace and tranquillity comes at a price. Wiley then makes a call to action by stating after much consideration Council has the answer, “we have stopped thinking small and have started thinking on a grand scale”. This gives the impression that the council is the protector of the community and is working in the best interests of the town and its …show more content…
She proclaims, “Our region is famous for the quality and freshness of its luscious produce”. This draws a connection between the pride the community has in its town and its desire to keep the town alive. Wiley uses figurative language to create a strong image of a bustling town filled with “cars full of people who will eat out”, “socialise at our historic pub” and spend their money in the local businesses. This helps the residents of Lawton visualise Wiley’s