Rhetorical Analysis Of Who Are You Do Here By Mark Edmundson

Ages 18 through early to mid 20’s is a critical time in a person’s life. Some may go to college, some may go straight into the work force, and some may dwindle for a year or two until they decide what life path to take. In the article, “Who are You and What are You Doing Here?”, Mark Edmundson outlines the importance of choosing what to study, doing what makes you happy, to the “incoming class.” Edmundson’s words take a creative stand point on college and aim to inform, inspire, and persuade the incoming class about college and its actual purposes. Firstly, Edmundson begins the article by stating what colleges are really after. He claims that student’s must “fight against the institution” in order to receive the education they are after.

In the beginning of the essay, he claims how the student must fight to get ahead, but as he goes on discusses that professors and students have their own lives. Neither of them put their whole heart and soul into what they do in the classroom, they do what they must to get by, even if it is the bare minimum. While this does contradict his claim of fighting for an education, what he said was not wrong. “No one wants to invest too much in them- for life is elsewhere. The professor saves his energies for the profession, while the student saves his for friends, social life, volunteer work, making connections, and getting in position to clasp hands on the true grail, the first job.” Student’s value their social lives and professors value their work. This is not to be said that students do not care about their education and classes, students do try to get good grades, but will do the minimum to attain it. For this exact reason cheating to get ahead is extremely

He states, “by the time you get to college, you will have been told who you are numberless times.” This statement is overbearingly true. How you are raised has a big influence on how you turn out to be. But growing up, people seem to already know who you are. Teacher’s know of your intellectual capability, coaches know of your athletic ability, and the guidance counselors put it all together to persuade you on a path. Aside from school, parents are also a huge influence on determining who their child is. However, as Edmundson states, “you may not be the person your parents take you to be- and this thought more exciting and dangerous- you may not be the person you take yourself to be, either.” This is the case for many people. Many individuals are raised a certain way and since they can remember were told they were going to be a doctor, or a dentist, or will go to business school. Being told this, having this image of who you are supposed to be instilled in you by those closest you, you will start to believe