Critical Analysis Of Don 'T Hug Me I M Scared'

Imagine a place of creativity, innovation, and success; a place where people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders live and grow together. This place represents hope, understanding, and freedom; people from all over the world want to come to this magical place. This place is America. In How to Restore the American Dream, Fareed Zakaria outlines how America is not the same innovative and successful place it used to be. Zakaria in his essay hopes to inform his audience about how America has changed and persuade them to see the logic in his solutions. On the other side, You Tube sensations Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling created Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, an online video that graphically illustrates problems and social issues that plague America

Although both are quite similar in addressing problems, Zakaria tries to find a solutions while Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared satirically informs its audience. Zakaria captivates is readers at the beginning of his essay, he uses descriptive language and appeals to his audiences pathos describing what he thought of as the American dream back in the 1970s. He elaborates how over time his view of America changes, especially when he journey’s to the U.S. on a college scholarship. When visiting with friends in the U.S. Zakaria uses imagery to describe the “spacious suburban houses and the gleaming appliances” (Zakaria 461) most Americans at the time and compares it to life in India. Zakaria transitions from his method of comparison of India and America, and

He uses successful companies from the 80’s to today such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google. He explains that “they share a strategy that is becoming standard for success.” (Zakaria 462). Global business or taking business outside of the United States counts for a large sum of corporation’s revenue. Zakaria describes that technology itself is the reasoning behind why the U.S. economy has shifted. He elaborates on this shift, and says “Technology and globalization are working together at warp speed” (Zakaria 463) alluding to the futuristic television series “Star Trek”, which just so happens to parallel with him talking about the future of the economy. He brings other developing countries in to the mix saying “China and India have added literally hundreds of millions of new workers to the global labor pool, producing the same goods and services as Western workers at a fraction of the price.” (Zakaria 463). Zakaria switches his tone yet again to reflect optimism for America. Zakaria recognizes the large growth and now need for technology and globalization in America and let’s his readers know that this change and shift in our economy may have the economy down, but the shift isn’t a bad thing and it isn’t what is keeping people down. He encourages his audience to see that what has happened can’t be stopped. Then he asks a rhetorical question that is both simple and to the point. “So what is the solution?” (Zakaria