Rhetorical Analysis: The Greatest Generation
What comes to mind when you think of America’s greatest generation? Do you think of godly athletes such as LeBron James? How about political hero’s? Maybe even armed conflicts similar to Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom. You may even contemplate that the fighting spirit of the south during the Great Depression triumphs all endeavors of America’s rich history. Having read Jeffrey Deroven’s essay titled “The Greatest Generation: The Great Depression and the American South” one may very well elect the south during the Great Depression for their resiliency and perseverance as the best generation. Jeffrey wrote this essay as a student at Kent State University for a history course in 2001. Deroven recognizes and highlights that Tom Brokaw and others supports his argument, and he argues that the south’s fortitude is why they are widely known as the chief generation. Deroven stresses that the south’s endurance was paramount to their success in surviving a declining economy. Furthermore, Jeffrey implements several rhetorical strategies in his essay to include; comparisons, emotional appeals, and use of repetition. He explains an array of economic difficulties, identifies the souths lack of education, and takes his audience through the experiences of ordinary southern Americans who endured the Great Depression. Jeffrey Deroven successfully supports and proves the idea that the Souths durability is unmatched.
Mrs. Abercrombie recalls, "Me and Jon both went to school for a few months but that wa'n't enough for us to learn anything (1)." Jeffrey deroven uses emotion appeals by quoting southerners who were deprived of an education. He also elaborates that the schools were often above capacity, had short terms, and the schools had lower standards than previous years (1). Another quote from the essay reads, in the Bland family, "When Lucy got to the sixth grade, we had to stop her because there was too much to do (1)." Similar to...