Rhetorical Analysis Issues

Non-Specific Thesis By using structure, syntax, and diction he emphasizes his refusal of her.

Bad Sentences The author uses structure in the text. The author uses diction to show repetitive words. The author uses syntax to show repetitive sentence structure. This makes the reader realize the author’s purpose. The purpose of the text was to show us what the author wanted. In the letter, written by Samuel Johnson, is about a woman who was rejected.

Repetitive Intros Samuel Johnson’s letter, “Refusal”, is about Johnson rejecting a mother’s request to allow her son to go to Johnson’s university. Johnson has a very objective voice; he detaches himself from the mother to get his point across more clearly and to emphasize how farfetched her request was, seeing as Johnson did not know her or her son. In Johnson’s letter he wanted to advice the mother on high expectations but also get her ready for his rejection and why. The purpose of Johnson’s letter was to prime the optimistic mother for disappointment and give advice for the next time she makes a request of someone and to fully reject her request with valid reasons.

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