No Idea

Lola Chee
Eng. 101
Prof. Day
June 15, 2013
Rhetorical Analysis for Dennis Baron
Making English the official language legislated on August 1, 1996, with Congress. A college professor, of English at the University of Illinois, wrote an essay called, “Don’t Make English Official-Ban It Instead” by Dennis Baron. The essay had appeared in the Washington Post on September 8, 1996. The given claim that Baron makes is that English should be banned. There were six given reason Baron stated and one of the few were English is not pure English anymore, English would die out, and English ownership, who it would belong to. He continued to support his reasons and give examples. Many of his reasons consisted of his analogies, humor, and point of view. Dennis Baron’s satire is effective for the defending opponents of the official English bill because of his overplayed satirical humor, along with his use of sarcasm; although his satire is not effective for the opposing opponents because of his lack of evidence, his choice of a one-sided argument, and his assumptions about what would happen with banning English through-out the satire. “Even if the British are now our allies, there may be some benefit to banning English today.” (Baron 870) is one of many satirical humor that Dennis Baron used; defending opponents of the official English are effected here because of how he mocks the British. Another use of his humor is when he states, “We wouldn’t have to worry about whose English to make official.” (Baron 870) After Baron sated this, he questioned whether it to be, “English of England or American English? Of Chicago or New York? Of Ross Perot or William F. Buchley?” (Baron 870) The defending opponents of the official English bill were effected by Dennis Baron’s satirical humor, as well as the sarcasm, throughout his satire. With his sarcasm and humor, he had given a few evidence with this usage.

Works Cited
Baron, Dennis. “Don’t Make English Official-Ban It Instead.” The Norton Field Guide to
Writing with Readings. Ed. Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin. 2nd ed. New York: W.W Norton & Co., Inc., 2010, 869-871. Print.

Cited: Baron, Dennis. “Don’t Make English Official-Ban It Instead.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings. Ed. Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggin. 2nd ed. New York: W.W Norton & Co., Inc., 2010, 869-871. Print.