Rhetorical Techniques Used In 'Looking At Emmett Till'

Literature is analyzed throughout the world to gain a better knowledge of other cultures and views. However, to be able to analyze the writing, it first must be an effective piece of literature. And, to be effective, it must obtain a specific set of traits. Lee Gutkind chooses 25 essays that contain these traits, and compiles them into In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction. In order for a piece of literature to be effective, it must correctly use rhetorical devices to evoke a connection with the reader and contain background information. An important element of good, effective writing is the proper use of rhetorical devices. In “Looking at Emmett Till”, John Wideman elaborates on Emmett’s murder, explaining how “[his] face [was] crushed,

The explicit use of imagery tremendously adds to each essay’s significance. The brutality he suffered through is described in a way that imprints it into the reader’s mind. The imagery makes the reader more engulfed in the text as they can clearly see what is occurring, which results in them creating a connection with the literature. Another rhetorical device used throughout these 25 essays is diction. In “Three Spheres”, Lauren Slater opens her essay by describing a patient, presenting her as a set of symptoms. Among them are “bulimia”, “yellowed [teeth]”, and “belligerent when refused” (Slater 3-4). Her deliberate choice of dehumanizing language emphasizes the idea of how one can overcome one’s past but not escape it. This woman can overcome her “symptoms”, but she will always be viewed as a patient by these doctors. Her diction choices clearly outline the thesis, thus making a connection more likely, since the purpose is clear. In “Shunned”, Meredith Hall explains how “shunning is precise as a scalpel...leaving...not a trace of a scar on the community body, [but all] the

In “Three Spheres”, Lauren Slater explains how “[she] was diagnosed with, among other things, borderline personality disorder” (Slater 13). Without her having this mental disease, the connection between her and Linda wouldn’t have been as powerful and meaningful. This information is necessary to show the true struggle and pain being explained in the essay. Her having this validates everything said in this essay, since she clearly knows what she is discussing. Similarly, In “Chimera”, Gerald Callahan explains how his “children’s mother-dead ten years-walked into a pastry shop where [he] was” (Callahan 368). Without knowing the relationship between the narrator and this phantom person, the essay would have been harder to understand. Conveying his inspiration for writing his essay in the beginning allows the reader to better understand what is occurring through the whole essay. This pertinent information makes the core idea graspable, thus making it more meaningful and powerful for the reader. In “Notes from a Difficult Case”, Ruthann Robson informs us right in the beginning that “[she] is a professor of law at the City University of New York School of Law” (Robson 226). Her being a lawyer makes it easier to understand why a lawsuit is a viable option for her. It shows her thorough knowledge of the topic which makes