Rhetorical Analysis Of Malcom Gladwell's 'Outliers'

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In the passage from “Outliers”, published in November of 2008, acclaimed author Malcom Gladwell discusses class and argues that being a part of a higher class comes with its advantages in regards to being successful. He supports this claim by using rhetorical strategies such as ethos, example and comparison, along with an unvarnished tone, with the purpose of exhibiting the advantages of social class on success. With higher class comes a distinct parenting style referred to as “concerted cultivation”. Gladwell highlights this advantage with the implementation of ethos, using expert sociologist Annette Lareau. Lareau elaborates on how concerted cultivation is “an attempt to actively foster and assess a child’s talents, opinions and skills” (Lines 14-15). …show more content…

As mentioned before, higher class children learn a sense of entitlement, and to speak up when needed. Gladwell uses Alex Williams from Lareau’s study as an example, showing that wealthier children have the advantage of learning how to assert themselves in specific situations. When at the clinic, the doctor begins to discuss Alex’s height percentile, he interrupts, “I’m in the what?’ ‘It means you’re taller than […] young men when they’re ten years old’ ‘I’m not ten.’”(Lines 60-65). Alex interrupts his doctor without hesitation not because of poor mannerisms but because of how he was taught to verbalize himself. Gladwell has a very unvarnished tone when stressing that this interaction is the type of advantage that come with being a part of a higher social class, parents teach their children to assert themselves and ask questions in a respectful manner to those whom are of authority. This comfortability with presenting themselves to their superiors is how a lot of opportunities are acquired that end up making people successful, so with the poorer children being more submissive—they simply would not come across a lot of exclusive

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