Rhetorical Analysis Of Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

Author of the Tipping point, David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell in his self help book Outliers published November 18, 2008 addresses the topic of class advantages from a study by Annette Lareau and argues about the necessity of cultural advantage and the role it plays in determining success. He supports this claim with the use of rhetorical strategies such as Description, compare and contrast and the use of cause and effects. Gladwell’s purpose in this excerpt is to tell the readers that class does make a difference in the lives of everyone and the how and why of success. He adopts an informative, questioning and the exploratory tone for his audience whom are the (educated public), the readers of Outliers and others interested in the topic of success.

Gladwell concerns were mainly focused on the idea of cultural advantage and the crucial role it plays in determining success, In this excerpt he compares and contrast two kids from different families and states the different parenting strategies used by either side of the families and how it structures opinions, talents and skills of the kids in
The 10,000 hour rule for example was subjective; a number Gladwell created, a threshold number. In the previous paragraphs, the name Chris Langan and Robert Oppenheimer was used. Gladwell says that Langan’s upbringing in an environment of poverty and abuse led to his inability to speak up for himself which made him persuade his teachers or counsellors for a little while, then stopped and gave up on the educational system. One of the many reasons Langan couldn’t get to the level success he should be was despite his incredible intelligence he lacked practical intelligence and Savvy. Oppenheimer on the other hand had everything Langan lacked .Gladwell writes that all Langan learned from his childhood were “distrust authority and be independent” (Gladwell