In William Faulkner’s “Speech Accepting the Nobel Prize in Literature,” he asserted, “It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past” (Faulkner). Humans, by nature, are capable of achieving the unimaginable. However, individuals often do not believe very strongly in this ability. While they possess the potential, many people do not have enough determination to reach toward their goals and “not merely endure: prevail” (Faulkner). As expressed by Faulkner, writers hold the duty to motivate their readers in an optimistic way. Although many individuals believe that the “writer’s duty” is primarily …show more content…
For example, in John F. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner,” he uses words purposefully, claiming, “When all are free, then we look -- can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe” (Kennedy). By stating that not everyone has freedom under communism, he intends to convince the world that communism negatively affects the population in order to motivate his audience to escape from their comfort zones and feel obligated to help make a change. Without people who created speeches like Kennedy’s, citizens would not feel very determined and succeed in overcoming global issues. Kennedy made this speech during the same time period as Faulkner’s—the Cold War era. Although Faulkner’s speech was not actually focused on worldwide issues, his hints toward encouraging the anti-Communist side of the world to stand up for themselves reveal his underlying intentions. While simultaneously describing “the writer’s duty,” he fulfills what he believes to be his own duty by implementing references to the state of the world into his speech. Writers and speakers spread information to a vast number of people without even meeting their audience face-to-face, therefore it is their responsibility to take on a bigger role than simply writing about small, less meaningful topics. Instead, they should write in order to promote motivation in their audience as much in addition to expressing their own ideas. In a world where not many humans earn the opportunity to express their thoughts and beliefs on such an immense scale, writers must use their abilities to spread information that benefits the
...ant issues facing our world today. At the end of the day, every one could learn much from a writer that was never afraid to share his opinion on any subject no matter what anyone else thought about it. This goes to show, no matter how much an opinion differs from the majority, or the popular opinion, everyone still has a right and responsibility to let it be known.
One of the biggest determinants for the success of a writer is engaging and maintaining the interest of a variety of readers. While there are endless approaches to telling a story, as well as many writing styles, the most effective writings are the ones that successfully impress a diverse audience. The essays Eating Chili Peppers and Conforming to Stand Out: A Look at American Beauty are two different styles of essays that unveil a similar search for self-gratification. While the essays cover different topics and the authors use different writing styles and approaches to engage the reader, they both unveil a similar underlying message of a search for self-gratification.
Literature is a powerful force, allowing the writer to express their opinions through their own perspective. In the source, “What I’ve Learned From Writing,” the author Shauna Singh Baldwin, portrays the idea of literature as a non-violent socially-acceptable weapon. Someone like this can influence the views and ideas of readers by conveying emotions. Personally as an athlete, I feel as though I can change the perspectives of individuals, and my interests give insight to others without any boundaries. Along with the author, I admire her courage from within, and we learn to pursue our passions and interests in what we believe and love in ways such as originality, hard work, and confidence.
“The Road Not Taken.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan et al. 8th ed.
During the 1960s inequality was a major problem in the United States. One advocate for making things right was Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King organized many marches, sit-ins, and boycotting events. But one of Dr. King’s greatest and memorable works has to be the “I Have a Dream” speech. During this speech Dr. King was conveying a message of freedom for all, to 250,000 civil right followers and many more people listening to the radio broadcast. To spread his message Dr. King uses rhetorical appeals like logos to appeal to the reason of his audience, ethos by his examples of practicing what he preached, and his metaphorical language and repetition.
Students today face a great deal of school-related pressure. Their parents and teachers constantly expect them to put their classes first and to do their best on all their work. However, their friends and peers sometimes put negative pressure on them, putting down people who always do well. Emily Dickinson addresses what can hold people back from achieving their best in her poem “We Never Know How High We Are,” which explains that people don’t know what they can achieve until they have a challenge before them. The majority of people then manage to rise to the occasion and achieve what they might have believed impossible. Dickinson goes on to state that what people consider heroic could actually be ordinary if people put forth their best effort. The fear of success and of standing out in a crowd holds individuals back. This poem sends the message that fear of success holds people back through
The writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit--for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectability of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature.
I am in the process of writing my first novel in hopes to get it published after I graduate high school. Many students, and teachers unfortunately, have shot down my dreams of doing so but I have persevered with this aspiration of mine. I’ve found the people who think I can accomplish this are those who know for a fact I will continue with this dream.
“The pen is mightier than the sword” (Bulwer-Lytton 1839). Hence, iconic political figures have used language to force individuals to think and act on important issues that encompass society. Activists like Malcolm X and Helen Keller exemplify this power and perspective of language in the realms of approach and progress.
President John F. Kennedy brings about a new judgment in his inaugural speech. He brings in a sense of selflessness and relentlessness for the country. He uses literary devices such as, antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to bring about that sense in the audience. He begins by putting himself for the people and allows the audience to feel welcomed. The use of literary devices in his speech allows audience to recognize his goal which is moving forward and bring change and allows his audience to identify with his goal.
Srikanth’s reaction is one enjoyed by readers from many different cultures in response to reading Faulkner. Despite his heritage in one of the more hateful societies of the world, within the race perceived as superior at the time, his writing about failed expectations of the American Dream is applicable to all humans and especially relevant to our English curriculum.
In former Civil Rights Activist, Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “Beyond Vietnam-- A Time to Break Silence”, he asserts that the war in Vietnam is utterly immoral and has a far negative implication, not only for Vietnam but for the United States as well. In this speech, King uses three main rhetorical devices, in order to strengthen his position on this war. The three main rhetorical devices: ethos, pathos, and logos, are universally considered as the three necessary tools of persuasion in literature.
Authors and speakers alike use some type of persuasion on their intended audience. They often try to make you agree with their argument before considering other factors. Persuasive writing often has a copious amount of logical fallacies, defined by the Perdue Online Writing Lab as “errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic”, despite that they tend to have success with sympathetic audiences. Wendell Berry’s essay “The Whole Horse” is an example. Berry is likely to persuade his conservationist audience because of his use of emotive language.
and Other Greats : Lessons from the All-star Writer's Workshop. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.
“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write because there is some lie I want to expose and some fact I want to draw attention to…”