ipl-logo

Literary Devices In Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

870 Words4 Pages

Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" presents a captivating exploration of success, challenging conventional notions by emphasizing the influence of external factors on individual achievements. Through a meticulous and strategic use of literary devices, Gladwell effectively develops the central theme of the text, shedding light on how societal structures, cultural backgrounds, and historical contexts shape success. This essay will delve into the extensive analysis of the literary devices employed by Gladwell, including metaphor, imagery, and anecdotes, to reveal their profound contribution in conveying the central theme and fostering a deeper understanding of success.

The Power of Metaphor in Defying Conventional Notions
Gladwell employs metaphor as a powerful literary device, which challenges traditional ideas of success as solely attributed to individual talent and effort. The concept of an "outlier" functions as a central metaphor throughout the book, representing individuals who are exceptional and far removed from the norm. By using this metaphor, Gladwell highlights that success is not solely a result of personal qualities but is often contingent upon unique circumstances and opportunities. This metaphor compels readers to reconsider their …show more content…

By illustrating the upbringing and opportunities afforded to successful individuals, such as the "Genius and the Tern" anecdote about Christopher Langan, Gladwell highlights the critical role of socioeconomic factors and access to resources in shaping success. Through vivid descriptions, readers gain a heightened awareness of how historical circumstances intersect with individual efforts, leading to the emergence of outliers. The use of vivid imagery brings these contexts to life, immersing readers in the experiences of individuals and deepening their understanding of the multifaceted nature of

Show More
Related
1043 Words | 5 Pages

The novel “the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” written by Mordecai Richler tells the story of a boy whose goal is to acquire land, success and respect. His failed business endeavors did not lead him to the success he had hoped, and additionally alienated him from those who had once trusted and cared for him. Duddy is not only a self-made monster, but even more so a product of his society. A combination of how his family raised him, his schooling and environment, as well as his own personality and virtues ultimately led to his downfall. Quite possibly, Duddy’s family had the largest negative impact on his “apprenticeship”.

Read More
859 Words | 4 Pages

Outliers Essay Addison Yannuzzi Liliig English 10 13 February 2023 Gladwells Ideals It takes 10 years to become the best, 10 years to become the greatest. What does 10 years have to do with success? According to Gladwell 10 years is roughly how long it takes to put in 10,000 hours of practice.

Read More
1407 Words | 6 Pages

In the general perspective, a majority of people have come to believe that success derives within the personality and motives of the individual. In contrast, Malcolm Gladwell alleges in his bestselling non-fiction book Outliers that success is spawned by god-given advantages and opportunities that may not be welcomed to others by fate. Gladwell presents us with crucial evidence, such as the individual’s date of birth, the 10,000 hour rule, and their IQ, which has been proved to significantly increase their chances of success. Gladwell’s theory of success is credible and alluring because it belittles anyone who has not fallen into a blessed lifestyle. He admires those who have been born with opportunities clouding their life.

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

While an impoverished Langanm bowed his head and accepted defeat, Oppenheimer?s learned position of entitlement and his willingness to argue and fight for himself ultimately led to a successful career appointment. These contrasting e examples illustrate Gladwell?s final purpose that came across in ? The Trouble with Geniuses,? Parts 1 and 2for this section: , exploringes the important idea of ?practical intelligence,?, which can essentially be translated into what is commonly known as ?street smarts.?. The exact opposite of ?book

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

"Some Lessons From the Assembly Line" review In the article "Some Lessons From the Assembly Line" by Andrew Braaksma (2005). Braaksma is trying to reach the audience of college students and blue-collar workers. With his personal experience he shows how his friends who attend college and haven 't worked long hours don 't understand why he is happy to be back at school, they don 't understand what it is like to work long hard hours all day long and not be paid accordingly. "There are few things as cocksure as a college student who has never been out in the real world, and people my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. After a particularly exhausting string of 12-hour days at a plastics factory, I remember being shocked at how small my check seemed" Braaksma (2005).

Read More
1121 Words | 5 Pages

While Malcolm Gladwell says, in his bestselling non-fiction book Outliers, that success is shaped by exogenous

Read More
1500 Words | 6 Pages

It's shows that he has a habit of this because in another of his works, The Tipping Point, he admitted that he was more into the idea of it that he overstated the importance. It's similar to what's happening in The Outliers because he is overstating its importance of how good it is and how success can help, yet there was no counter argument stated in his writing. Gladwell’s practice-to-succeed method didn't rely on his research but more of his own personal views. The idea that the then thousand rule can lead to success better than any idea is unreliable because the rule does not imply to everyone since it’s most likely there are individuals who can do fine with little to no practice. For example, there was a bean bag experiment in a gym class to where 8 year olds had to make the beans into the basket with one basket 2-4 ft and the other 1-3 ft while hounded by researchers .

Read More
1643 Words | 7 Pages

Gladwell’s theory in his chapter “Marita’s Story” helps us formulate a much more comprehensive understanding and another way of understanding success through cultural legacy. Gladwell empathizes that while Marrita an opportunity to achieve greater success,, it still did not compare to what other higher income students received; “…the cultural legacy she had been given does not match her circumstances either—not when middle- and upper-middle-class families are using weekends and summer vacation to push their children ahead” (Malcolm 170). Marita is a young girl who was given the opportunity to improve her learning environment and headspace by joining KIPP, an academy. Marita sees a shift in her future by taking this approach by shifting her cultural legacy and improving her education to success in her future. Elevating her chances out of her lower class status and along with the “middle and upper class families” by putting all her time in KIPP.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

behavior, learning and memory of an individual ( 1). While Dr. Noble noted the more affluent children possessed larger hippocampuses than their disadvantaged counterparts (Brain Trust 47), Hanson notes that the lifestyle of less affluent families affect the hippocampus negatively. For instance, maternal separation can negatively impact the hippocampus, I.e. working mother's. The lower the income a household has, the more stress it faces. Outstanding stress can have long-lasting negative effects on the hippocampus (1.).

Read More
2106 Words | 9 Pages

The book “Outliers,” by Malcolm Gladwell takes readers on a momentous adventure of twists and turns through life's most optimistic lessons. The aspiration of the book “Outliers,’ is a reflection of how the author Gladwell would like his readers to view and glide through the journey called life. Examples given within the book help to shed light on positive lifelong learning experiences. The key question in the book “Outliers,” is what makes people who are great achievers different from regular people? ” The term “Outlier,” illustrates phenomena’s that can happen apart from what is considered to be the social norm (Gladwell, 2007).

Read More
1073 Words | 5 Pages

Intrinsic factors critically considered when people think about the main components of success. However, Malcolm Gladwell, a famous writer, contradicts this tendency through the book, Outliers. The book, Outliers insists that extrinsic factors define success rather than the intrinsic ones. Nonetheless, Gladwell himself goes against the topic of Outliers in his assertion: “if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires (Gladwell, 2008).” The assertion implies that individuals could achieve success only with those intrinsic factors.

Read More
1250 Words | 5 Pages

Also, Gladwell uses pathos in his writing by emotionally appealing to his audience by incorporating their concerns and interests. Throughout the entire book of Outliers, Gladwell incorporates emotional influence through his word choice and his dramatic testimonies. Moreover, Gladwell uses Marita, a hard working middle-schooler in the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) in New York, applying herself and making up for the “missing ingredients” of success, as an emotional testimony when writing about people that want to interfere in their factors of success. He prefaces with a testimony from Marita herself, describing her issue and the end of having friends outside of KIPP by using strong emotional words, “Here is Marita again, in a passage that is a little short of heartbreaking,” (266). Another emotional persuasion method Gladwell uses to incorporate the audience’s concerns is his reoccurring use of children focused evidence.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

Gladwell’s Argument in Outliers Success is a concept that is constantly altered and has a different meaning from person to person. The stereotypical definition of success would be someone who has a high-paying job or is in the upper-class. Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers: The Story of Success, approaches the concept of success in a different and unique way. Gladwell discusses how opportunities, cultural legacy, and hard work all coincide with each other to produce real success. He uses mostly logic and multiple unrelated anecdotes to support and provide evidence for his statements.

Read More
1996 Words | 8 Pages

Outliers: The Story of Success Writing about Reading Defense of Passages In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell challenges those who assume hard work is the only path to success. “It is not the brightest who succeed. Nor is success simply the sum of decisions and efforts we make on our behalf.” Gladwell states that success can happen through a series of different factors.

Read More
606 Words | 3 Pages

Outliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell, is an informational book regarding the intricacies of success and how it comes to fruition in individuals. Outliers has served to teach students the means of being successful and the importance of seizing opportunities as they come. Personally, Outliers has changed my views of success in numerous ways. Before reading said book, I had always assumed people who were naturally talented or had specific privileges were the only ones who could get far. However, Gladwell’s writing has informed me that anyone, if they are prepared to work hard, can reach their goals.

Read More

More about Literary Devices In Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

Related Topics

Open Document