Preview

Rhetorical Analysis Of Lost In The Kitchen By Dave Barry

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
574 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rhetorical Analysis Of Lost In The Kitchen By Dave Barry
A Rhetorical Analysis of "Lost in the Kitchen" Well known essayist, Dave Barry, in his essay "Lost in the Kitchen" discusses the stereotype that women take more responsibility than men, and men are worthless when it comes to helping out. Barry's purpose is to expose and bring attention to these gender roles. Barry uses the rhetorical and satirical strategies such as exaggeration, irony, and simile in order to address the purpose of his essay. "Lost in the Kitchen" by Dave Barry is a satirical essay that exposes gender roles and society's norms. Barry uses the satirical device exaggeration to demonstrate this purpose. For example, in paragraph four, Barry writes "Surrounding Arlene are thousands of steaming cooking containers. I would no …show more content…
Barry uses this strategy in paragraph two, when he writes "Most men make themselves as useful around in the kitchen as ill-trained Labrador retrievers." In this quote, Barry compares men in the kitchen to untrained dogs. Barry uses this simile to address the purpose by applying it as evidence that men are clueless in the kitchen and that needs to be changed. Barry also uses simile in paragraph seven when he writes "I think most males rarely prepare food for others, and when they do...they expect to be praised as if they had developed, right there in the kitchen, a cure for heart disease." Dave Barry compares the concept of men cooking food for others to developing a cure for an incurable disease. Barry uses this rhetorical element to illustrate that men expect to be awarded as if they have accomplished something big. This emphasizes the wrongs in gender roles because when women cook for others they don't expect an honoring reward. The third device Dave Barry uses in his essay, "Lost in the Kitchen" is irony. In the ninth paragraph, Dave Barry writes "This seems pretty accurate to me, so I thought I'd just tack it on to the end here, while she makes waffles." This quote uses irony because you expect Dave Barry to help his wife make the waffles after writing a whole essay on how men are scum in the kitchen, but he doesn't. This use of irony develops the purpose of the essay as it exposes the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    It is suggested here that the complete pericope for the passage is Luke 22:1-22. The decision for this is based on the following observations: (1) The connection to Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is established. (2) The catalyst for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is established. (3) Specific instructions for the preparations of the Passover meal during the Feast of Unleavened Bread are given to Peter and John. (4) Jesus gathers His disciples around Him for the meal. (5) Jesus explains the significance of this particular Passover meal, noting it will be His last until His mission is completed. (6) Jesus mentions the cup for the first time, giving a word of thanks while reiterating this is His last Passover meal for a while.…

    • 194 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” the author, Mark Twain, is trying to convey a general message that to promise not to do a thing is a best way to make someone do it, and Tom Sawyer does a great job at taking advantage of gullible people and doing such. We see this happen when Tom has to whitewash a fence as a punishment and is pretending to have fun to make the other children jealous.…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried, applies multiple techniques in his memoir in order to produce the theme of horror in war. He utilizes word connotation, literary/rhetorical techniques, sentence structure, and overall structure in the memoir. In an excerpt on page 199, O’Brien employs the combination of anaphora, metaphor, and negative word connotation to illustrate the horror of the Vietnam War.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The analysis I made was based on Douglas McGray’s article “Lost in America”. You did a great job mentioning where the article can be found and giving a brief summary of the article at the beginning. It helps the reader understand the main points of the article. However, you started your introduction with “Douglas McGray, in Lost in America”, which is a very common attention-grabber. Unfortunately, because of its frequent usage, it becomes boring or less interesting to readers. You should try to start in a more creative way like a statement meant to surprise or amuse readers. The strategies you used to address the thesis statement was not very effective since your paper lack’s a purpose and you did not specify the audience. Also, it would be…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Commentary: What does the literary device show? Why does the author use it in his story?…

    • 479 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humor can be one of the most effective tools to use with persuasion, as it can provide many benefits with very little cost or drawback. Some of the benefits of using humor to communicate an argument include increased attention span, an overall more enjoyable reading experience, not to mention the comfortable environment comedy will give for the writer to communicate their ideas. Enter humor columnist Dave Barry and his essay, “Road Warrior,” which introduces the quality of road rage that is said affect the American public today, and he also sheds a humorous light on how easily people are angered. His use of various techniques in his writing makes his approach to the problem of road rage effective, because humor can make something that is tedious become interesting. The techniques he utilizes include the use of metaphors, rhetorical questions (a figure of speech in the form of a question without the expectation of a reply), capitalized words, sarcasm (a sharp, bitter, or cutting remark; or a bitter taunt), and labeling. Barry’s use of humor in his writing contributed greatly to the overall effectiveness of the essay. Through the use of humor, Barry not only contributes to the overall funny tone of the essay, but he sheds a…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “The Dark Knight,” a movie directed and produced by Christopher Nolan, depicts the way a system of justice deals with terrorism. If an archetype is defined as a symbol that exists instinctively in the collective consciousness of the human race, the terrorism in Batman The Dark Knight represents an archetype through the violence, murder of the innocent, mayhem and mass destruction. Governments often lay down laws and procedures for a country to function, and to avoid anarchy. The laws promote wellness, equality, and justice, but sometimes even these entities of justice are forced to break the law for a greater good. In contemporary U.S. history, President Barack Obama, the head of one of the most powerful countries in the world, decided to introduce a select team of individuals into Pakistan, in an illegal manner, in order to kill Osama bin Laden, the head of an international Islamic terrorist group known as al-Qaeda. In the movie these two sides of justice are represented by two “knights.” On one side, Batman, who is constantly referred to as the dark knight and on the other Harvey Dent, who is referred to as the white knight. The words “white” and “dark” have two specific connotations, one which brings to mind the concept of light, an archetype that symbolizes purity, justice, hope, and clarity. The other invokes into mind the concept of darkness, an archetype which embodies fear, ignorance, despair, and the unknown. The use of this archetypical antithesis throughout the whole movie is an allusion to the two sides of justice: the “white side” and the “dark side.” Terrorism is represented by the criminal mastermind known as “The Joker,” a cynical clown that is very similar to Islamic terrorists, an archetype of the devil figure. The most prevalent real life terrorist in current world news is Osama bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda. He plans and orders attacks onto specific targets through suicide bombings, representing the notion…

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The comics Candorville written by Darrin Bell provide a perfect example of inequality amongst social groups, which in this case is men and women. It provides the message of inequality between men and women in the workspace by pointing out the unequal pay that women get even after doing the same exact job. The first comic shows how a woman has a lesser value than a man. It also hints how women are dependent on their husbands and it is unimaginable for a woman to be running the house or earning money for the family. At the same time, the comic also reinforces a gender stereotype that men have all the responsibilities of the family on their shoulder and are more independent.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Furthermore, Gloucester redeems himself for all the mistakes he has made in the past. He prepares to commit suicide, “This world I do renounce, and in your sights shake patiently my great affliction off” (4.6.37-38). Gloucester tells us he did not feel the need to kill himself, however this hateful life of his would still wear out. Furthermore, the redemption between Lear and Cordelia states, “When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down and ask of thee forgiveness” (5.3.11-12) rather than “I am a man more sinned against than sinning” (3.2.59-60). It shows that Lear believes he can be happy in prison without his love Cordelia. He suggest all the prisoners to sing, and to support each other in this hard time. Looking at each other past…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Three young children holding half eaten carrots with smiles so big you can almost assume they haven’t had this many nutrients in some time. They stand at a park possibly provided by the local food pantry. Are they victims of poverty? Maybe neglected at home? We don’t understand their personal situation except for the fact, that they are hungry. Feeding America, or the U.S. Hunger Relief Organization, is here to make sure the children of this country’s future are well nourished in the hope that they will have the same opportunity as children that are not victims of hunger. Image…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I Want a Wife

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Judy Brady writes in her article about the demands that are required from women. She stresses the point that the roles of women are unfair to the role of men. Also, that there is a distinct difference, inequality, between the roles of men and women. She writes about this because she is tired of the feeling inferiority to men and that the work that women undertake is overlooked. She illustrates her point by listing the numerous tasks that are commonly expected from women. "I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it." After listing the numerous outrageous tasks, she ends the article with an emotional statement, "My God, who wouldn't want a wife?"…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People have contributed to gender stereotypes by refusing to the chain. Cooking is now only women’s job, having makeup on is the only way to be classified as beautiful, and lastly; to be a man, you must act manly. Gender stereotypes have been obscured by today’s society through all forms; media, actions, rules, and obligations set by certain communities.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Male Bashing

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Jake Brennan, in his article ‘Has Male Bashing Gone Too Far’ refers to depicting men as incompetent, calling it “male bashing”. He outlines an argument that it has gone too far, and that television is promoting this idea by stereotyping males as such. He also argues the difference between women, men and guys, and finally that men are still predominately in charge of society. In the article Brennan refers to numerous TV shows in order to convey his message and to try to persuade his audience to agree with his opinion.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the essay “I Want a Wife”, Judy Brady discusses all the duties that a wife would have to do for the husband and the family to express her frustration in her marriage. She lists a lot of examples in her life to show us the job as a wife is burdensome and difficult. She also uses a sarcastic tone to describe the selfish attitude of men wanting a wife to take care of everything in his life while he can do whatever he want. She started to carefully think about the unfair treatment between men and women. Finally, she realized that she did not want to do this job anymore.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Dutton’s essay “Toxic Soup” (2006) speculates about the effects that humans have on pollution in the ocean, as well as ways the damage can be reduced. In this essay, Dutton incorporates his personal experiences as a surfer and nature lover with statistics and his knowledge of the effects of water pollution on animals and humans. Dutton’s purpose is to raise public awareness of the need for environmental protection of the ocean in order to preserve and improve nature’s status. Given the language and references used, Dutton is writing for college educated adults interested in science and the environment.…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays