Rhetorical Devices In Self Reliance

On the occasion of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay, “Self Reliance,” Joy Zhou chooses to positively embrace his writing in a reflective argument. Although the essay seems to present itself in a traditional style, her words resemble a more opinionated approach that is supported by her personal life; she comes across as an inspired individual who agrees with Emerson’s ideology. Zhou tackles her claim by breaking off short quotes from Emerson’s essay directly and supporting his relevance with modern, personal experiences. Her first main paragraph discusses Emerson’s quote, “‘[t]here is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide.’” Responding, Zhou provides an anecdote in which

As a side note, it is important to realize that college to the Chinese community is essential; in order to create honor within your family, you must pass a series of intensive testing and attend university. Unfortunately, for Joy Zhou, the odds were stacked against her, and she was unable to meet the passing requirement. She immediately breaks into a series of ethos driven statements saying, “I failed my parents and myself. After that, I lost all confidence in myself.” In such a dark and devastated mindset, pulling together all the strength left in her heart, Zhou embarks on a journey to America with her mind set on opportunity. In terms of qualification, she had no experience in the work field and no degree; she was later rewarded with a position as a cashier in a restaurant. As her career experience unfolds further, Emerson’s quote, “‘[a] man is relieved and gay when he puts his heart into his work and done his best’” in which Zhou uses to justify her own effort and perseverance. Following, the idea of American college is introduced. Unaware of which path to take, Zhou writes that her decision was influenced directly by Emerson’s words in “Self Reliance” as she challenges herself to apply to Berkeley. In the end, the essay is wrapped up with a short statement expressing both her claim and position on “Self Reliance;” Zhou expresses that, “‘Self-Reliance’ is a great article to me, thought it was written