“The Inheritance of Tools” by Scott Russell Sanders Summary + Rhetorical Analysis #1 The following essay being summarized and analyzed, “The Inheritance of Tools” by Scott Russell Sanders was originally published in The North American Review in 1986 and later selected by Gay Talese for The Best American Essays in 1987. This essay chronicles the story of the author learning about his father’s death in which he is quickly reminded of the tools and techniques he learned from his father which was passed down through multiple generations. I will discuss the themes portrayed by the author as well as the organization and connections between ideas, and transitions within the text. The essay begins as the author describes the February morning when he was working on his daughter’s wall and banged his thumb with a hammer. The author immediately got frustrated but then thought …show more content…
The material hammer was passed down generation through generation as well as knowledge of carpentry and the blue-collar mentality of hand-crafted work. Sanders take away from the hammer was much more than just the material being of the hammer. Sanders would also continue to keep the tradition going as he encouraged his son and daughter to use hammers to make a porcupine out of the blocks of wood they played with much like he did with his father. Along with the theme of inheritance is the theme of true morals. Sanders explains in the story that his daughter’s pet gerbils would climb into a heat vent which led to the inside of the perfect new wall he had constructed. Sander’s daughter expressed her heartbreak to her father as if the gerbils did not come out in time, they would die of starvation. Sanders, however, assured his daughter that if need be, he would indeed tear down the wall in which he had so much pride in as he used his father’s technique to build. The gerbils indeed would come out though as he lured them out with food and
In 102 Minutes, Chapter 7, authors Dwyer and Flynn use ethos, logos, and pathos to appeal to the readers’ consciences, minds and hearts regarding what happened to the people inside the Twin Towers on 9/11. Of particular interest are the following uses of the three appeals.
In the video “An Evening With MR QUENTIN CRISP (1980)”, the main speaker Mr. Quentin Crisp begins the speech by allowing the audience to acknowledge that the ideas he is presenting are different from world-wide standards and are not accepted by the mass. As he says: this is “consultation with psychiatrist madder than you are” (Mr. Quentin Crisp).
Many characters have hopes and dreams which they wish to accomplish. Of Mice and Men has two main characters that go through obstacles to get what they want. In the beginning it is George and Lennie running away trying to get a job. Once both George and Lennie have a job they try to accomplish their dreams. Unfortunately they both can't get their dreams to come true since lennie does the worst and George has to shoot Lennie. Steinbeck uses characterization, foreshadowing, and symbol as rhetorical strategies to make George's actions justified.
“First, I thought it was a weapon,” he said of the stick that, I should add, is fairly heavy. “But my grandmother told me what it was and that it had belonged to her great-great-great grandfather, or something like that. She had forgotten all about it being there. She told me to keep it, it might be worth something someday.”
Ender is first shown as intelligent and skillful, and Peter shows the same attributes throughout the story. Ender uses his intellect to triumph over his bullies, and this translates to his experience in the Battle Room. He has to outsmart the enemy, rather than beat them physically, and it worked in his favor the majority of the time. Ender understands when he has to use his physicality to beat a bully, but also knows when he has to strategize to avoid a certain situation. When Ender is encountered by Bonzo after he won the battle by disobeying Bonzo’s orders, he has to use his judgement rather than his fists to get what he wants. Ender argued with Bonzo, “‘... I’ll pretend that you won this argument. Then tomorrow you can tell me you changed your mind.’ ‘I don’t need you to tell me what to do.’ ‘I don’t want the other guys to think you backed down. You wouldn’t be able to command as well’” (Card 87). Ender understands what his enemy, in this case Bonzo, wants, and knows how he can make both of them get what they want. He doesn’t resolve to violence when he knows that he can use a different method that benefits him. Ender’s intelligence and strategizing helps him overcome the difficulty he approaches throughout his life. Peter also uses his intellect to benefit himself throughout the events that happen.
In 1729 Ireland was going through economical problems, things had gotten so bad that people were desperate for a solution. Jonathan Smith created a solution, but it was a bizarre one. Jonathan Smith wrote “A modest proposal” as a joke to prove a point, but this proposition was so convincing and well thought out that people began to consider it. The proposal was that babies should be eaten and used a profit rather than protecting them. The use of pathos, logos, and ethos all were used so well together that no one during that time could distinguish the satire that was being used.
William Trevor uses the force of time to produce a stark contrast between the earlier locale of the boys’ childhood and that of adulthood. For example, the latter scenes of adulthood are during winter on a chilly November night for the greater part of the current timeline. With these subtle details about the time of day and year, a mood of coldness and faint solidarity begins to materialize. While Trevor writes that Wilby is up through the night alone, the reader can sense that is not unusual from mentions of his marital status and that he reads a lot, drinks a lot (127). The darkness of the night and repetitive detail of a blinking light suggests a metaphor for the darkness cast over the character’s life as well as the
My response to this play I will detail in five sections. This play was written by Tennesssee Williams and premiered in the mid 50s. This play is a southern drama with subjects involving death, mendacity, alcoholism and family disagreement.
In the form of a eulogy, Goodman explores the life and legacy of Phil, a typical business man. As she discusses the life of Phil, Goodman is unable to find any positive qualities about him and through the example of Phil she delivers a powerful message about the role of work in the lives of Americans. The author uses rhetorical strategies to create a tone of pity and contempt for Phil, which shows how people who prioritize work over life are sad creatures who hurt the people around them.
After completely reading the essay written by Barron Thomas, the first thing that was noticeable was the title and it was not attractive. It was too long and did not make sense. The essay thesis was notably vague for the reader and each topic sentence was defined. Barron had some organization in the introduction paragraph to help explain to the reader what should appear in the other paragraphs. Each paragraph after the introduction needed more supporting detail such as an example to give a clarification on how each person helped with his skills. The use of number in an essay should be written out unless it over hundred.
Wesley Morris feels that Colin Kaepernick is protesting a different type of patriotism. Wesley Morris states " When a black American protests the demoalizing practices of American government, there is always a white person eager to unfurl the welcome mat to Africa. This is where racism and patriotism tend to point: toward the exits. For some, we learn, being American is conditional oh behaving like a grateful guest: You belong here because we tolerate your presence. We don't yet appear to have settled the matter of citizenship - not even for our president, another black man backhandedly accused of harboring terrorist sympathies." In paragraph 5 this quote demonstrates that Wesley Morris is irritated because African Americans tend to cause a
I most kindly thank you for forging Plymouth into a city upon a hill which every other colony can aspire to gradually become by establishing a sense of order and control unlike your fellow counterpart Winthrop and the nefarious products of his crafting. You, sir, are Plymouth’s rose, burning with a red vibrant sinful passion that has been restricted and limited with a soft delicate outer layer of religious conformity and serendipity. But every rose has its thorns and when conversing with John Winthrop you lower you own identity and power to match or fall below his. No man should lower themselves in order to please something else in less it God himself. Even in a private secretive manner you must know that association is perception and, perception
President Donald Trump met with the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting that killed 17 on February 21st. This meeting, taking place just one week after the tragedy, was held to discuss the issue and to see what steps could be taken to avoid another shooting. During the meeting, Trump conducted a poll on whether or not teachers should be armed. President Trump was also seen with a card numbered 1-5, which seemed to have questions and/or statements he wanted to give. The fifth on the list, and perhaps the most necessary one - “I hear you”.
Salinger employs a multitude of narrative devices in order to reveal and craft Holden’s mood as he narrates. Throughout this excerpt, Holden is portrayed as being in a despondent mood as walks through Central Park, drunk due to drinking during the night. He has reached a point in his destructive depression where he no longer maintains the will to live.
In The Inheritance of Tools, Scott Russel Sanders talks about carpentry as a parallel to family life and how it allowed him to connect with his family. After his father's death, he reflects on his childhood times that he spent with the older man, and how their connection turned out to be used in the next generation. The tradition of carpentry in the family of Sanders passed on more than simply carpentry tools and the knowledge of how to use those tools; family values were also inherited and shared.