Fenimore Coopers Rhetorical Analysis

Mark Twain, an 18th century humorist, was known for his critical and satirical writing. In one of his most famous essays, “ Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses” Twain addresses Coopers inability to realistically develop a “situation” and his failure to effectively back up his stories in order for them to be more plausible. To dramatically convey his unimpressed and sarcastic attitude, he applies biting diction, metaphors and hypophora throughout this work . By continuously using biting diction, Twain develops a mocking tone towards Fenimore Cooper’s incapability to create even the simplest of storylines. In the title of the work a sarcastic tone is evident; the word choice is utilized to reinforce the argument stating how Coopers work is an offense to the world of literature. This device is the strongest component in this essay because Twain has clearly expressed to the readers his side when analyzing the work. Without the sarcasm the essay would just be a list of everything Twain believes is wrong, but the author was able to make his argument enjoyable and engaging to the reader.

Twain states that “Cooper was no architect,” to illustrate how inaccurate his measurements and details were.” For example, how six indians would not be hidden by a “sapling” or how a fifty foot wide river shrinks to 20 foot wide river with no explanation. Twain argues that for a story to be plausible, it needs to effectively apply to “the observers protecting gift,” their ability to believe a story. Twain was able toggle enough evidence to help reinforce his metaphor because the audience can now see where the faults were in Coopers attempt to build a