Careless Actions and Great Satisfaction: Figurative Language in “The Terrible Teens”
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon”. This quote by E.L. Doctorow demonstrates the effect of enhancements in writing through the use of a metaphor. Throughout Elizabeth Kolbert’s “The Terrible Teens”, methods of development and rhetorical devices are prominently used as a way to successfully support the main idea of the essay. The use of statistics and metaphors play a major role in supporting the philosophy behind adolescent decision-making. By using these devices to enhance the quality of writing, Kolbert simultaneously supports the concept that the actions and …show more content…
In “The Terrible Teens”, Kolbert has included several phrases from Frances Jensen’s The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. “But, teens are not quite firing on all cylinders when it comes to the frontal lobes.” (Kolbert 2). Jensen is implying that teens do not have full potential power of their frontal lobes simply because their brain has not yet fully developed and this is often the reason behind their poor decision-making. Kolbert also uses metaphors to illustrate the risks teenagers are faced with. “In a sense, they live in a world in which all the water bottles are spiked” (Kolbert 7). This statement is not to be taken literally, however, since teenagers may come across a spiked drink throughout their years, this statement uses that idea and relates it to the fact the teenagers live in a dangerous world, and the dangers may be unavoidable and unnoticeable to them. Kolbert’s use of metaphors throughout the essay enhanced the idea that teen brain development is the reason behind their careless decision-making. Additionally, considering the fact that teenagers often find themselves in dangerous situations, their inability to make wise decisions poses as an even bigger threat to
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon”. This quote by E.L. Doctorow demonstrates the effect of enhancements in writing through the use of a metaphor. Throughout Elizabeth Kolbert’s “The Terrible Teens”, methods of development and rhetorical devices are prominently used as a way to successfully support the main idea of the essay. The use of statistics and metaphors play a major role in supporting the philosophy behind adolescent decision-making. By using these devices to enhance the quality of writing, Kolbert simultaneously supports the concept that the actions and …show more content…
In “The Terrible Teens”, Kolbert has included several phrases from Frances Jensen’s The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. “But, teens are not quite firing on all cylinders when it comes to the frontal lobes.” (Kolbert 2). Jensen is implying that teens do not have full potential power of their frontal lobes simply because their brain has not yet fully developed and this is often the reason behind their poor decision-making. Kolbert also uses metaphors to illustrate the risks teenagers are faced with. “In a sense, they live in a world in which all the water bottles are spiked” (Kolbert 7). This statement is not to be taken literally, however, since teenagers may come across a spiked drink throughout their years, this statement uses that idea and relates it to the fact the teenagers live in a dangerous world, and the dangers may be unavoidable and unnoticeable to them. Kolbert’s use of metaphors throughout the essay enhanced the idea that teen brain development is the reason behind their careless decision-making. Additionally, considering the fact that teenagers often find themselves in dangerous situations, their inability to make wise decisions poses as an even bigger threat to