On The Want Of Money Rhetorical Analysis

William Hazlitt composed his passaged, “On the Want of Money” to express that “one cannot get on well in the world without money”. Although many believe money is not necessary to be happy Hazlitt provides his audience with a substantial argument that money is needed to live happily. Within Hazlitt’s sharp excerpt, he uses several different rhetorical strategies to strengthen his argument and express his views on the importance of money. Money in fact, is very important to each person since in today’s world, money is used for everything. The problem is occurring is it is almost impossible to not desire or need money in our society. One of the ways Hazlitt expresses this difficulty is the way he structures his passage; the entire passage is composed of three simple sentences. Although this may seem like a short excerpt, it is not. Hazlitt provides us with an extended

He uses the pathos techniques to impact the reader’s emotions and make them feel as if they are unable to survive life without money. “It is to be scrutinized by strangers, and neglected by friends…” This quote is used to make the reader feel as if they will be criticized by strangers and even lose friends. This can also make readers feel as if they will never be accepted by society because of their wealth. In today’s society individuals still struggle from this with feeling that if they do not have the latest clothes, electronics, and cars they no longer fit in with the crowd. Hazlitt also states “to be a burden to your relations, or unable to do anything for them…” to emphasize the way an individual may feel with a lack of money. Money may just be a simple piece of paper that allows you to buy things to some, but to many it makes their life and determines their happiness and social life. Hazlitt demonstrates these emotions in a way that his audience is able to feel a deeper connection and relate to the passage