Rhetorical Analysis Of Lost In America By Douglas Mcgray

In his article “Lost in America,” Douglas McGray highlights the isolationism of the American educational system

Through his article, McGray expresses his concerns about the lack of focus of the American education system on the learning of foreign culture.

The article was issued by Foreign Policy magazine in 2006. McGray’s target audiences are the ones that can make changes in the educational curriculum, which signifies that his intended audience includes American legislators involved in American curriculum policies. McGray, who is co-creator and editor-in-chief of Pop-Up Magazine claims that the American education has an isolationist curriculum. It means that the American educational system does not include worldwide perspectives.

In his

Used at the beginning of the article, McGray’s anecdote talks about the lack of geographical knowledge of an American teenager. McGray shares that “Christina is a modern, multitasking, American 15-years-old… Christina is puzzled. “The Philippines is an island?” she asks skeptically…I thought it was in China, she says” (McGray 351). Through this example, McGray builds credibility for his arguments towards his audience of American legislators who may feel shocked and ashamed due to the absence of general world’s knowledge of the American students. Subsequently, if American legislators accept the existence of this problem, it will encourage them to promptly make changes. Christina tale is remarkably symbolic for the reason that it is the first key the author provides to intentionally engage American legislators into the reading and encourage them to incorporate multicultural studies in the American education. McGray uses Christina’s tale as a sample to provide to American legislators the actual state of the American education. Even though anecdotes are not considered scientific proofs, they still dominate people’s thinking due to the fact that they have a convincing appeal that relates people on a more personal level. Thus, McGray effectively employs this rhetorical choice achieving his purpose of persuading American legislators to make changes in the American educational

Through the use of the quote he impacts and alarms American legislators over the issue of isolationism by providing a possible future for young Americans. McGray states, “Soon, we hear, the United States will become a nation of baristas and retail clerks, while Asians leave their kids with the Nannybot, commute to work on cold fusion-powered monorails, and fine-tune the software that will put Microsoft and Google out of business” (McGray 353). With this example, the author intended is to make his argument more dramatic and severe. Using this rhetorical choice, McGray shows to American legislators that the United States must embrace multicultural education immediately; otherwise, while other nations will become more powerful, American sovereignty will be at risk. Although, American legislators might perceive this quote as exaggerated and silly but it triggers their emotions making them afraid of a possible future that the Americans population do not expect. It may also unconsciously force legislators to choose a side of the argument. Moreover, McGray uses this hyperbole to satirize and make fun at how math and science advocates overemphasize the importance of those disciplines. The author purposely uses this satire to make American legislators recognize that the real problem is the lack of focus on disciplines