Rhetorical Strategies In Louv's Last Child In The Woods

778 Words4 Pages

Rhetorical Strategies in Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods” People that are fixated on the pale blue glow of the electronic screen while in public or in the company of others are now a commonplace occurrence. Even if a person kept their phone in their pocket, there is no getting away from the flashing images. Public TV screens are everywhere from the gas station pump, the grocery store line, the doctor's office, amusement parks, and facing every table at restaurants. Humans are uniquely prone to getting drawn in and captivated inside the virtual electronic world. It is their ability to think and imagine that makes them particularly vulnerable. Steeped in pixels, People come to believe they are somehow separate from the raw grittiness of nature. However, no matter how good their imagination, humans are still skin, muscle and bone enlivened by a ball of electrical impulses. Conversely, no actual life exists behind the LCD screen or within that trendy phone ap. Life is found amongst people, the animals and vegetation that …show more content…

The reader is cleverly drawn in by humorous language such as “luxury car to celebrate her half-century survival in the material world”. The relatable parental push-pull dilemma of the benefits and drawbacks of technology resonates strongly with the reader, which makes them more sympathetic to the author’s argument. Additionally, packing the anecdote with details such as “Mercedes SUV and Global Positioning System” allows a person to imagine more clearly the extent of gadgetry addiction even among parents. The hyperbole of the appalled salesman’s jaw dropping at the idea of excluding a rear seat TV screen is an effective exaggeration. Not only is a car salesman universally disliked to begin with, but also to describe his shocked reaction exaggerates his absurd behavior, which in turn causes the reader to sympathize with the