Summary Of America Needs Its Nerds

America, often lauded as a land of freedom, is a place where revolution was started and freedom is proclaimed. The United States is recognized for the prevalence of personal rights, as a place the persecuted long to reach. Leonid Fridman argues against these concepts in his essay “America Needs Its Nerds.” He suggests that personal liberties are being restricted because of “rampant anti-intellectualism” and that the U.S. will suffer future consequences in terms of world power if “nerds” are not supported. To be clear, Fridman argues for the academically talented and information-seeking students in today’s society. He feels it is unfair that these students are too afraid to pursue intelligence to its fullest or to admit how much they study, so he presents an argumentative essay detailing the inequities and grievances these students face. He makes a convincing argument through his powerful diction, dynamic tone, emotional and

He uses formal diction and chooses words to clarify his point of view. For example, he claims “nerds are ostracized,” using the word “ostracized” (Line 18), a more potent form of the word “excluded.” It stands out as being a significant word in the essay, revealing Fridman’s stance on the matter and drawing sympathy from the audience for the alienated group of students. Also, he uses the word “derogatory” (Line 2) in the essay to describe the terms “nerd and geek” (Line 3). This word has an especially negative connotation and is often associated with racist and demeaning names. In general, people do not consider the commonly used words “nerd and geek” to be that deprecatory. Referring to them as “derogatory” develops his argument that intellectuals receive undeserved criticism. To make an additional point, Fridman uses the words nerd and geek throughout the remainder of his essay, further drawing the reader's attention to his view on the words and their disparaging