Analysis Of Jane Hamill's A Grown-Up Barbie

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Concepts of Writing a Good Essay: “A Grown-Up Barbie” by Jane Hamill
Students are often required to submit essays throughout the school year, however, many are not able to write an effective essay. After extensively reading and analyzing This I Believe narratives, I came across many essays that are great examples for students to use as a template for effective writing. One essay that stood out amongst the rest was, “A Grown-Up Barbie” by Jane Hamill; I recommend this short narrative for students that strive to achieve an effective essay because it provides useful rhetorical devices such as: anecdote, imagery and diction.
Hamill’s personal narrative begins by perhaps using one of the most useful device- an anecdote. By using this device she …show more content…

There are three types of diction: formal, informal, and colloquial; formal refers to press conferences, colloquial to slang, and informal to writing-which Hamill uses throughout her essay. Diction is used to create and convey a specific mood, affect the reader’s attitude and convey the writer’s feeling toward their work (The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab). In simple terms, diction intensifies the weight of the words which affects the reader’s reactions. By choosing to write words such as: feminist, moron, danger and “anti-fashion fashion designer,” the audiences impact becomes stronger (Hamill). For example, when the author uses the word feminist to demonstrate how she views herself, it enables the audience to question her views considering the title. Initially reading this essay, the reader would not expect feminist and a Barbie to coincide within the same essay because they are completely opposite. A feminist is considered someone who advocates equality between males and females, whereas, a Barbie represents a manifestation of self-identity (Wright 1). Another example of diction used properly is when she says she is an “anti-fashion fashion designer,” her diction gives her audience an insight into her message, that it was not about the clothes but how the clothes make people feel (Hamill). If authors were to use diction properly, they could achieve an effective essay.
So, if one is contemplating how to

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