Rhetorical Analysis
Johnney Guevara
Professor Nisbett
EN 101 - 3233
09 September 2019
What do they know? Everything.
We’ve all been there, questioning what our parents really know and whether they think the best is for us. Gone through the motions and being told what to do no matter how dumb it may seem. No matter the subject or the task, it’s all for a reason. This is the matter that Harrison Scott’s “My Dad Tried to Kill Me with an Alligator” describes.. A story about two unknowledgeable kids who’ve dropped their fishing rod in the base of a river having to learn from their intimidating dad “how to be a real man”, and face their fear of gators to retrieve the pole. The Father, teaching his kids a message of a lifetime, it’s okay to be fearful but don’t let it drive your life and let the curiosity roam we see a grown “Fat-tart” use the same message for his two daughters as they get worried about seeing sharks after taking a boat to a new adventure. Writing this for those making the transition into their life of child to adult, really showing that even though while going through the motions of not wanting to do what our parents demanded of us, they really do know and are demanding such for the growth from children to adults. Harrison Scott Key, targeting those growing up, transitioning through life uses the appeal to the comedic dialogue in a valuable life lesson, as well as using the memories and stories of those kids growing up to be a father to successfully show the growth of the characters, and their journey in learning this life long message.
Using comedic dialogue to connect with the young reader by using two characters nicknamed “Fat-Tart” and “Bird” after Big Bird living in the marshes of Mississippi, Harrison uses the two characters which some like polar opposites conversate with each other to really relate to the reader that everyone is was or si a small unknowledgeable kid. It’s seen multiple moments in the passage where the two kids tried to solve the gator problem with unrealistic, but funny fixes. Like using a hand pistol, or trying to catch it themselves and save the rod and many other instances. Unable to save the rod, we see pops come in and force them to get in the water, while ultimately end up retrieving the rod while out of the water. Here it’s seen the life lesson of not being afraid and not letting fear dictate one’s life through the careless mistake and fix of a problem caused by the two boys and being too afraid to solve it, while ultimately being forced to face their fears by their father to do so.
Showing that parents know best using the life of the narrator, by the end of the passage it is seen that “Big Bird” is grown and has children of his own now. Following in his father’s footsteps after the gator incident as he takes his daughters down to see a “secret island” they run into a shark. just like a childish “big bird” thinking that their father is crazy we see the same reaction from his kids as a young “big bird” reacted to being told to jump in with the gator when he was a small child. This shows the significance and impact that his pops had left him with when he was a child, teaching him to not let fear run his life and impact his future and ability to solve problems. Very emotionally pulling, causing readers to look back to their younger years, this is a message so important for many to learn and should always be passed down from generation to generation.
Harrison Scott a father himself, sharing the life message of not letting fear dictate outcome and the importance of parents to show this to their kids this uses TONS comedic dialogue to successfully tell a valuable message to his transitioning audience, and share memories and stories of these kids to prove his claim. Without parents lives would be drastically different. Kids learn from parents, who then grow up to teach their kids, they know how to teach us to grow, but can’t just protect us from the dangers of the world, we must face it. If we don’t learn from them who do we learn from? It’s important to learn and listen from our parents, even about the things we are hesitant on, cause it makes us grow to be who we are, and able to keep spreading the wisdom down from generation to generation. Creating memories, shaping us into the people we are today.
Professor Nisbett
EN 101 - 3233
09 September 2019
What do they know? Everything.
We’ve all been there, questioning what our parents really know and whether they think the best is for us. Gone through the motions and being told what to do no matter how dumb it may seem. No matter the subject or the task, it’s all for a reason. This is the matter that Harrison Scott’s “My Dad Tried to Kill Me with an Alligator” describes.. A story about two unknowledgeable kids who’ve dropped their fishing rod in the base of a river having to learn from their intimidating dad “how to be a real man”, and face their fear of gators to retrieve the pole. The Father, teaching his kids a message of a lifetime, it’s okay to be fearful but don’t let it drive your life and let the curiosity roam we see a grown “Fat-tart” use the same message for his two daughters as they get worried about seeing sharks after taking a boat to a new adventure. Writing this for those making the transition into their life of child to adult, really showing that even though while going through the motions of not wanting to do what our parents demanded of us, they really do know and are demanding such for the growth from children to adults. Harrison Scott Key, targeting those growing up, transitioning through life uses the appeal to the comedic dialogue in a valuable life lesson, as well as using the memories and stories of those kids growing up to be a father to successfully show the growth of the characters, and their journey in learning this life long message.
Using comedic dialogue to connect with the young reader by using two characters nicknamed “Fat-Tart” and “Bird” after Big Bird living in the marshes of Mississippi, Harrison uses the two characters which some like polar opposites conversate with each other to really relate to the reader that everyone is was or si a small unknowledgeable kid. It’s seen multiple moments in the passage where the two kids tried to solve the gator problem with unrealistic, but funny fixes. Like using a hand pistol, or trying to catch it themselves and save the rod and many other instances. Unable to save the rod, we see pops come in and force them to get in the water, while ultimately end up retrieving the rod while out of the water. Here it’s seen the life lesson of not being afraid and not letting fear dictate one’s life through the careless mistake and fix of a problem caused by the two boys and being too afraid to solve it, while ultimately being forced to face their fears by their father to do so.
Showing that parents know best using the life of the narrator, by the end of the passage it is seen that “Big Bird” is grown and has children of his own now. Following in his father’s footsteps after the gator incident as he takes his daughters down to see a “secret island” they run into a shark. just like a childish “big bird” thinking that their father is crazy we see the same reaction from his kids as a young “big bird” reacted to being told to jump in with the gator when he was a small child. This shows the significance and impact that his pops had left him with when he was a child, teaching him to not let fear run his life and impact his future and ability to solve problems. Very emotionally pulling, causing readers to look back to their younger years, this is a message so important for many to learn and should always be passed down from generation to generation.
Harrison Scott a father himself, sharing the life message of not letting fear dictate outcome and the importance of parents to show this to their kids this uses TONS comedic dialogue to successfully tell a valuable message to his transitioning audience, and share memories and stories of these kids to prove his claim. Without parents lives would be drastically different. Kids learn from parents, who then grow up to teach their kids, they know how to teach us to grow, but can’t just protect us from the dangers of the world, we must face it. If we don’t learn from them who do we learn from? It’s important to learn and listen from our parents, even about the things we are hesitant on, cause it makes us grow to be who we are, and able to keep spreading the wisdom down from generation to generation. Creating memories, shaping us into the people we are today.
Rhetorical Analysis Reflection
Going through the writing process is always difficult for me, thinking of a clever hook, building off of that thesis and just letting my mind take over writing. I don't know if it's just permanent writer's block or what. I guess just what really overall stumps me is looking for the right thing to talk about and hoping that I don't get something wrong and end up looking pretty stupid. Crafting theses' is something that is really hammered in my head after having junior year be ALL about rhetorical analysis so that was a walk in the park. Really, the most difficult part for me always seems to be finding ways to improve my writing, and looking and seeing what I can improve, I guess that’s where the peer reviews really come into play.
Having comments on my RA and such is definitely the high focus for me, places I know that can be improved because others have pointed out what I was too oblivious to see, as well as looking at the corrections you have made on other people’s papers and seeing, huh. I can really improve myself this way, or hm, this is a really clever technique that this person used that I can definitely somehow incorporate into my paper. Some call it stealing ideas, I call it borrowing so I can get a better grade.
In all seriousness, this whole process has really gotten me to look at my papers more thoroughly whenever I turn them in. It’s gotten me definitely more vigilantly aware of what I need to improve on and really, taking the time to write this whole essay overtime has made me definitely really think about my writing plan and how I plan to write these things out, it’s been nice not leaving a whole paper due in a couple hours and not even having started it. What advice would I give myself two weeks ago? Really, there's only one thing I would say to the past me.
DO NOT forget to click that DAMN submit button.
Having comments on my RA and such is definitely the high focus for me, places I know that can be improved because others have pointed out what I was too oblivious to see, as well as looking at the corrections you have made on other people’s papers and seeing, huh. I can really improve myself this way, or hm, this is a really clever technique that this person used that I can definitely somehow incorporate into my paper. Some call it stealing ideas, I call it borrowing so I can get a better grade.
In all seriousness, this whole process has really gotten me to look at my papers more thoroughly whenever I turn them in. It’s gotten me definitely more vigilantly aware of what I need to improve on and really, taking the time to write this whole essay overtime has made me definitely really think about my writing plan and how I plan to write these things out, it’s been nice not leaving a whole paper due in a couple hours and not even having started it. What advice would I give myself two weeks ago? Really, there's only one thing I would say to the past me.
DO NOT forget to click that DAMN submit button.