The Jig, The Nudge, And Local Ecology Analysis

Matthew Crawford delivers a true gift with his writing of The Jig, the Nudge, and Local Ecology in the rarity that his messages are actually applicable to what one might call “the real world” or life outside of academia. All messages aside, this piece is meticulously crafted to get through to his audience, no matter who that may be. Crawford reminds us that the classical appeals and subtle style changes in writing can still make a much larger impact than elegant word choice and gets straight to his points. They are well crafted with a true rhetorical value, and all become memorable through his utilization of often unnoticed and rather advanced rhetorical techniques. With a tone coming off as that of an uncle or godfather looking out for …show more content…
The syntax of this piece definitely cannot go unrecognized by any good reader. The way in which Crawford utilizes colons to set up lists is very understated but effective. Listing allows consumers to logically set up their own thoughts, and with that more logical setup, one will comprehend and then keep more of the message with them down the line. This is one of the more helpful stylistic choices used when looking to convey logos, the logical appeal. Logos is very common, but also commonly misused as not all people see the same things as …show more content…
As soon as one introduces political decisions, taxes, and self-regulation to the mix, all appeals begin to fire at full force; as the author certainly knows. The likely most well-crafted and upsetting argument in this entire piece is that of the ease of life if one has money. As he says, “The point is staying out of jail is much easier with money” leading into the discussion of jigs for one's children thus leading into a short bout regarding marriage and relationships. The genius of how this section progresses is encompassed by how the levels of emotional response will likely increase as one moves through the passage, with all topics being relatable, yet extremely sensitive at the same time. One other big part of this section, which would be understated if not for actually analyzing the text, is the credibility afforded by Crawford when speaking upon his personal experiences working in test prep. No, his job wasn't riveting or too socially redeeming, but he very subtly proves to readers that he is credible and not just another politician or profit-seeking author speaking out the side of his neck. This combination of genuine credibility, ethical dilemma, and logical arguments from both sides make the ending section of these few the most powerful, if not definitely the most well