An Alchemy Of Mind Essay

An Alchemy of Mind Essay Our brain is the cryptic generator we often lack appreciation for; we busy ourselves with the ongoings of the world and forget about the little engine atop our head that makes everything we do possible.
In
An Alchemy of Mind
, Diane Ackerman utilizes numerous rhetorical devices, such as metaphors, syntax, and sentence structure, to examine and contrast the various functions of the brain to achieve her purpose of providing us with a greater appreciation for the intricate universe inside our head.
The most frequent way Ackerman portrays the mind is by the use of metaphors. Ackerman implies the brain to be “a crowded chemistry lab”, constantly compiling emotions and dispatching neurons to maintain our mental and physical balance to survive in the everchanging world in which we reside. The author illustrates the illusion of the mind never having a moment of peaceful rest; it is always operating and assembling the puzzle pieces we collect to rescue us from whatever predicament we find ourselves in. The brain is also depicted as being “a hall of mirrors”, acknowledging the idea of it being a reflection of our innermost selves that is often lost in a sea of thought. The author selects this choice of words to elaborate on the perception that the mind is capable of echoing our most genuine intentions, no matter how much we attempt to conceal them.
Ackerman expresses the brain’s power is through her selective syntax and sentence structure. In the first few lines the long, fast­paced sentence “imagine the brain...like too many clothes into a gym bag” emits a warm, cozy feeling to personify the mind as a being engaged in maintaining your well­being. It shows how at home the brain feels in the head it has become accustomed to, and appreciates the difficult task it is assigned to do ­ keeping you alive and well. About two­thirds of the way through, the sentence structure changes to become shorter, choppier, and slower­paced as shown in “my brain likes cute socks.
But it also likes kisses...And biking. And drinking Japanese green tea in a rose garden” which displays the more personal side of the mind that can become distracted quite easily. These jumpy phrases show how quickly the brain interprets the world around it and how the personality it creates is influenced by outside forces. It also marks the beginning of a shift in tone to reveal the more dark side of the mind, the side that contemplates burdensome ideas and is forced to make crucial choices that can leave a notable impact on our lives. The author achieves her purpose of engaging our interest in the power of the brain, illustrating that the mechanisms of the brain can never be fully unmasked, only appreciated. The rhetorical devices utilized in this passage demonstrate the complex and simple tasks the brain accomplishes, in addition to coping with the dramas of our day­to­day lives. It illuminates new pathways for us to follow, along with establishing ideas that may assist or challenge us. The mind is the creator of identity and expressor of individuality, and without it we lose our unique dynamism and are entrapped in a bland, spiritless world.