Preview

Rhetorical Essay

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1197 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rhetorical Essay
Cierra Washington September 30, 2013
Mr.Currie “The Company Man” Essay

Ellen Goodman’s attitude toward Phil in “The Company Man” seems to be frustration and disappointment. She explains how Phil, the main subject practically worked himself to death. He was a “workaholic,” meaning he put his work above anything and anyone, even his wife and children. This explains Goodman’s disappointment towards Phil because he let work take over his life and force him to push away his loved ones and close family members. The author expresses frustration by writing in the passage that Phil let work cause him to work himself to death finally and precisely. The obituary said that he had died from coronary thrombosis, which is a blockage of the flow of blood to the heart, caused by a blood clot in a coronary artery. Everyone who was close to him knew that instantly because of their knowing of Phil personally. Phil was a fifty one year old vice president who never stopped working, even on his off days. On the day he died, that Sunday was supposed to be his off day but he was still working. Goodman uses description to describe and explain how Phil worked himself to death. She stated that he was vice president at his company, he had no outside extracurricular interests, and how he worked like the Important People. Goodman also uses contrast and comparison to explain her attitude toward Phil as a working man. She compares Phil to his friends and acquaintances by stating that after Phil died, his friends and close ones began to think for five or ten minutes about how they were living their lives. They may have been going at the same rate as Phil, so after they seen him put to death by working, they began to think about how much they work and how they can avoid dying due to work. Goodman also uses

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Based on the experiment conducted by Penrose and Geisler's I would say I am a combination of both Roger and Janet as a writer. There are times I can write about a subject with ease an importance due to the fact I relate and feel more comfortable or knowledgeable with a specific topic, Much like roger. Then there are times I am comparable to Janet, who may not understand, lack the knowledge or have may limited experience in a specific subject. This is when I find myself paraphrasing, using more definitions, or just reiterate my source’s content. Unless I feel confident with a subject I would not consider myself, someone who writes with authority. Simply I find that it is a struggle sitting in front of a computer or blank sheet of paper having…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ellen Goodman, the author of the short story, “Company Man.” The story was all too real and relatable. Something that can happen and tear apart the best of families. A father or mother constantly working, over working, and becoming so involved with their job that their family begins to live in the shadow of their everyday thoughts. This man Phil fell victim to what some may consider a type of disease, addicted to work. “He worked himself to death, finally and precisely, at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning (Goodman par. 5).” Not surprisingly, Phil also died from his overzealous working lifestyle at a still young age of 51 years old. Little did he realize, he was dispensable.…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    6. The four parts of a successful persuasive message are attention, interest, desire, and action.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The argument of this TV commercial is that the overall quality of life for men will improve if they use Old Spice deodorant. The audience includes women that are in a relationship with a man and is concerned about the way their significant other smells. The goal of this advertisement is to get women to buy Old Spice deodorant for their significant other. The commercial tries to accomplish its goal of getting women to buy Old Spice deodorant for men in several elements of rhetoric.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I would ask Rudy Giuliani why he chose to be a leader. A lot of people tend to be a follower and are very complacent with their lifestyle. Why be different?…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cobb, started in 1916, is one of the oldest pedigree broiler breeding company in the world. Family, integrity, being the best and innovation is the core value for Cobb, and contributes it into the leading positions of broiler breeding industry. Currently, Cobb operates as a subsidiary of Tyson Foods. Over the last few decaeds, Cobb had contribute to fight with the world hunger. Today, Cobb comes to the aggieland and recruit new members for the big family. They want to recruit students with strong sense of responsibility and professional communication skills. Students from poultry science major, animal science major or with related background are…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emphasizing the fact that Phil worked himself to death, Goodman chose pure sarcasm to make this particular emphasis. She shows through this repeated phrases, that he must have chosen work over family quite often, working to provide for his family which resulted in the simple fact that “he worked himself to death, finally and precisely, at 3:00a.m Sunday morning. Goodman’s use of repetition leads to show her satirical writing. “On Saturdays, Phil wore a sports jacket to the office instead of a suit, because it was the weekend” shows Goodman’s use of satire in one of the many examples throughout the obituary. Toward the end of the essay, Goodman describes how the company president starts the funeral with a hint of sarcasm, “discreetly of course, with care and taste” using a tongue and cheek method to provide a subtle shift in tone. The president then begins to question who will replace Phil ending with a paradoxical sentence “‘Who’s been working the hardest?’” getting down to the business of replacing Phil, providing another example of a stereotypical business approach.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the article “College is a Safe Bet,” the author focuses mostly on the broader picture of student as a whole when it comes to college. Most of the article focuses on how and why students are questioning a college degree. The author states that “the rising college tuition, combined with slim job prospects, are leaving families with the impression that the risks associated with attending college are beginning to outweigh the rewards” (Morgan). She goes on to say that even thou we should think about these things because it “encourages students to make more thoughtful, informed decisions and pressure the policymakers to keep all colleges high quality and affordable” (Morgan). As a whole the article is effective in persuading the audience to see college as a go to option for most students.…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rhetorical Analysis: “A Prostitute, a Servant, and a Customer Service Representative: a Latina in Academia.”…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    • 772 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The author Sara Mosle reminds her readers right away about an emotional massacre that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. In her article in The New York Times called, “Preparing Students for a Newtown-like disaster” she argues her point against Louie Gohmert, the Texas Congressman who suggested that all teachers should have guns. Sara has a lot of credibility for her personal thoughts and what she believes is true about the gun laws. She is aiming this article at adults, parents, and people who vote. She is trying to change people’s mind about the gun laws. Using very good examples she shows the readers to not figure out ways to hide from the gunmen or to fight back against the gunmen but to just get rid of the amount of guns given to people not qualified to have them.…

    • 772 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    • 884 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “The Carnivore’s Dilemma”, an essay by Nicolette Hanh Niman, incorporates rhetorical elements, such as logos, ethos, and rhetorical questions, in an attempt to convince the audience that meat itself is not the root of global warming. Written from a rancher’s point of view, the essay relies on studies and logic to prove itself. Niman starts out with a short acknowledgement that the meat industry has a hand in the increasingly noticeable global climate change. She then quickly changes gears, stating that the studies that show the meat industry is a major player in global warming only take the prevailing methods of producing meat into account and spews facts that show the flip side of the food industry.…

    • 884 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rhetoric Analysis Essay

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by life? Going to work every morning, having class, being backed up on schoolwork, it feels like there is a well-deserved need to go on an extravagant vacation or just have a break. For you maybe, a weekend with your closest friends is enough. Watching movies, going out to dinner, do some shopping, going out drinking is your idea of a break. Going out with friends to have fun and to forget about reality for a while is always a good thing to do, it’s good for the mental state. Imagine you are out with your friends one night drinking and you get a little too drunk. You meet this dreamy guy, any woman would be lucky to have him, but so you thought. With the increasing issue of rape, the advertiser would think twice…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first lesson we have went over a lot of material and in turn I have learned a lot. A major thing I have learned from this first chapter is rhetoric. Rhetoric is the fluency and ability to get to the point across in your writing while using all the “laws” of the English language correctly. Although hard to do, in order to have good rhetoric you must avoid Engfish, show don’t tell, and have good word choice.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, Goodman reveals a general sense of indifference for Phil through the use of emotionally detached details, varying sentence lengths, and simplistic diction with a tinge of negative connotation to summarize Phil’s life. Not only does this story serve as a metaphor for the “company man” of that milieu, but it also shows the detriments of the “work first, family later” mindset that men often…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Not his wife, not his children, and most certainly not his employer. “The Company Man” not only demonstrates the unforgiving reality of the workplace in corporate America, but also its cyclicality. Phil worked hard to gain recognition to “move to the top spot,” at the sacrifice of his familial relationships, only to continue to be unrecognized. So he worked harder, then harder still, to remain just another meatsack to the corporation, the one that meant everything to him. At the same time, he drove the wedge ever deeper between himself and his family. When he dies, his company doesn't care--he’ll be easy and quick to replace. His family doesn’t care--he hasn’t been there for them in a long time anyways. While Goodman clearly displays her distaste for Phil and his choices through her use of quotations and powerful diction, her overall concern is not with Phil himself. It’s with the way corporate America forces the unforgiving cycle to continue turning, and whether it can be stopped before everyone ends up like…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays