Rhetorical Devices Used In A Christmas Carol

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Throughout history, poverty has remained a consistent and pressing issue. Orwell, Dickens, and Swift were all influential writers of their time who wrote to educate the upper class of poverty. Through their works of Animal Farm, A Christmas Carol, and “A Modest Proposal”, they utilize rhetorical devices such as pathos, and tone to properly address poverty and the inequalities that society faces. Orwell uses the character of Boxer to evoke pathos and shed light on the harsh realities of poverty. Boxer represents the proleritat or the exploited lower class, who works tirelessly but gets taken advantage of by the rich. Although being exploited by the pigs in this case, he continues to work. In the text it states, “Nothing could have been achieved without Boxer, whose strength seemed equal to that of …show more content…

In "A Christmas Carol," Charles Dickens uses the characters of Ignorance and Want to evoke a sense of empathy and compassion and also educate the audience. These characters symbolize the societal issue of poverty. When Ignorance and Want are revealed to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Present he says, "Have they no refuge or resource?...Are there no prisons? said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words”(Dickens). These children that were introduced are described as ragged, dirty, yellow, small, and weak. Dickens uses pathos through these characters to create the emotions of affection, pity, and sorrow. By using children to personify the things that people ignore and everyone wants for more, it sets a reminder for people of higher class to reflect. Through these characters, Dickens effectively employs pathos to educate the audience about the importance of compassion and social responsibility. Another example of authors using rhetorical devices to educate people is Jonathan Swift's essay, A Modest