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Rhetorical Analysis

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In the essay, Mark Twain is saying that humans are the lowest of animals. Instead of evolving from lower species, human have descended from higher ones. “In order to determine the difference between an anaconda and an earl (if any) I caused seven young calves to be turned into the anaconda’s cage. The grateful reptile immediately crushed one of them and swallowed it, then lay back satisfied. It showed no further interest in the calves, and no disposition to harm them… The fact stood proven that the difference between an earl and an anaconda is that the earl is cruel and the anaconda isn’t….” (Twain 2). This is one example Twain uses to explain to the reader one of the reasons why he believes man is the lowest of animals. This example tells …show more content…

He points out how we participate in mass wars, and how we can knowingly be cruel to other species. I also think that he is trying to get across that all of the things we believe make us better actually make us worse. “The higher animals engage in individual fights, but never in organized masses. Man is the only animals that deal in that atrocity of atrocities, War… gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and with calm pulse to exterminate his kind” (Twain 3). War, power, revenge, and money are just a few of the things mentioned by Twain that have led to humans being the lowest of the animals. I completely agree with the main idea of Twain’s essay. I also believe that humans are not the highest of the animals. How could the highest of the animals be so willing to kill and do wrong the way humans do? “The cat plays with the frightened mouse; but she has this excuse. She does not know that the mouse is suffering… she only scares the mouse, she does not hurt it; she doesn’t dig out its eyes, or tear off its skin, or drive splinters under its nails) man fashion; when she is done playing with it she makes a sudden meal of it and puts it out of its trouble” (Twain 3). I feel as though the highest animals would be generous and kind or at least be doing harm due to ignorance of what was truly going on, such as, the cat. I also believe Twain’s description of the cat is a perfect foil to the human race. The only point that brings up disagreement between Twain’s essay and I is the whole religious aspect. I feel that humans actually being able to come up with a concept so large and so much more powerful than themselves actually puts them ahead. I believe it shows the capability of thought in the human

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In the novel of Watership Down, Richard Adams tells a story of a peculiar band of rabbits and writes about an epic journey filled with danger, trials, and hope. One quote Adams says is, “Animals don't behave like men, he said. If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.”

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Mark Twain is a world renowned author who has explored many concepts on societal issues. One of his most famous works, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, touches on many views Twain had on societal issues. He also discusses the struggle of being in the sixth century. When reading the novel, one may realize that the story is a satire of his beliefs. For example, he was appalled by the idea of the Church, and displays his disgust in the novel.

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A major point within “Why the Beaver Should Thank the Wolf” is that the predators are not always the big problem, but instead a big help, and that they are withering down to a non-existent state. The animal that Hannibal uses as an example is the wolf in Wyoming. I believe whole heartedly with Hannibal in saying that if it was not for the wolves, many ecosystems and the prey would not thrive as much as they do.

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The Killer Elite: Twain’s Argument against Elitism Throughout human history, a key question among philosophers has been whether or not elitism, or a sense of superiority over others, is good. Mark Twain attempts to answer this question in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as he delves into the effects of elitism on society. Twain argues that elitism should not exist in society because it gives people a sense of superiority over others that they will abuse to gain power and control over people. Twain believes that elitism prevents society from advancing as oppressive “elites” lead to unnecessary deaths and discontent.

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In How Smart are Animals? The author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, is entertaining us when she puts in the anecdote to tell us that animals aren't smart they are just trained good as well as being descended from wolves, and that is how Villa helps Andrea she doesn't understand the concept of danger. Patent is informing us that animals do understand us and they are intelligent. She starts off she story by giving us a little entertaining section like a hook about 2 paragraphs long to get us to learn about how smart animals really are. This story was made as a supported informational evidence piece because it was full of evidence supporting the central claim of, animals aren't just ¨animals¨ they do understand and they do have feelings. Patent includes

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The essay “The Damned Human Race” by Mark Twain has been and still is a very controversial piece of writing. After reading "The Damned Human Race", One could say that Twain supports his argument with clear facts. Mark Twain’s essay used personality and outlooks between humans and animals by comparing them to one another. When analyzing Mark Twain ’s essay “The Damned Human Race” he uses a persuasive writing style that is clear and to the point, he uses pathos and logos to persuade the readers to continue to understand how the human behavior works.

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Romantic authors wrote about the gallantry and chivalrousness of the nobility and the kindness and graciousness shown towards the common folk (Class). However, Twain exposes the Romantics’ naivety through Sandy’s child-like disillusion of the swineherds as ogres and their idiocy for writing tales themselves about knights and ogres as though they were fact. Through the adventures of Hank Morgan in sixth century England and by lambasting the nonsensical romantic writers, Mark Twain conveys the message to his readers to be critical of the world.

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The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain shatters the illusion that the human species is superior in every way to animals. The essay satirizes that animals are superior to the human species through the use of made up experiments. Twain utilizes these experiments to demonstrate the parallels between the behaviors of animals and man. These experiments showcase how animals are the “higher animals”. Even more, the experiments are attempting to prove how we, as man, have descended from these higher animals only to lose a few of their favorable traits.

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Twain uses a scientific method as explained by him without the use of opinion or to disclose his beliefs made for a trustworthy writer. To prove that, he gathered information revealing the descent of man. In this, he made clear of every possible assumption. By setting up legitimacy ahead of the essay, Twain can play with the audiences' desires later when he reveals his tests to be a relationship between human and animal traits. By utilizing experimental differentiations between man and animals Twain reasonably shows that people, in their brutal attributes and sporadic practices, are entirely worse than the animals.

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According to Mark Twain's, "The Lowest Animal" there are few similarities between man and animal, but many differences. Twain also sends the message that animals are far superior to humans, through various experiments. The main differences noted are related to cruelty, indecency, and fighting, all of which put man below animals. First, cruelty is described as a trait that only man has, not animals. Animals will kill, only for what they need to survive, whereas man will kill for sport and enjoyment.

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He also mention how moral sense was the reason why man was the cruelest animal. Mark Twain is correct, even though man has done a few good deeds in the past, man was born with moral senses that have continually demonstrated how cruel he could be. Man’s moral sense tells him what is right and what is wrong. He can be taught to change his views but still there are a few who never know the difference and some who disagree on what is right. In Sharon Begley article, “Roots of Evil”, she describes a boy who was loved and cared for in happy home.

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(Twain, 13)” This is an example of greed, instead of using ones’ earnings that is useless to them and giving it to someone that could benefit more from it, one often keeps it. This proves mankind 's trait of greed is consistent, but who is to say that it is not also common in higher animals? Well Mark Twain put this to the test with his experiments, “ I furnished a hundred different kinds of wild and tame animals the opportunity to accumulate vast stores of food, but none of them would do it. The squirrels and bees and certain birds made accumulations, but stopped when they had gathered a winter supply, and could not be persuaded to add to it either honestly or by chicane (Twain,

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Also,“[t]he passion of revenge is unknown to the higher animals” (Twain 537). Man cannot get over the

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Through his writing, Twain displays how people follow the trend because they do not want to be left out in the society. 2. In the beginning of “Corn-Pone Opinions”, Twain uses “I” and then switches to “we” when he refers to the society and how conformity

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