Karsten Lenterman
AP English Language
23/11/2017
Mr Miller
“America Needs its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman
Leonid Fridman wrote America Needs Its Nerds in attempt to inform and persuade his target audience of the current situation regarding the anti-intellectual values that the majority of people hold today, and the tragic situation that his country has been left in, in that people no longer strive to be educated in america. Friedman's thesis statement can be found in lines 28 - 34, where he states, “ Enough is enough. Nerd’s and geeks must stop being ashamed of who they are. It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarten to the grave. For America’s sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought”. …show more content…
In lines 37-40, Fridman compares the pro-intellectualism that is prominent in east asia, and states that rather than being looked down upon for their studies, children in East Asia are often “held up as an example to other students”. This comparison enhances Friedman's argument by showing us an international perspective of the situation which in turn adds to the persuasive nature of the essay by providing contrast to who we choose who to praise in our country in relation to East Asia. This is also seen in lines 43-45, where he uses the comparison of baseball players to university level teachers, further showing us how we rate our skills in sports over intellectual
AP English Language
23/11/2017
Mr Miller
“America Needs its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman
Leonid Fridman wrote America Needs Its Nerds in attempt to inform and persuade his target audience of the current situation regarding the anti-intellectual values that the majority of people hold today, and the tragic situation that his country has been left in, in that people no longer strive to be educated in america. Friedman's thesis statement can be found in lines 28 - 34, where he states, “ Enough is enough. Nerd’s and geeks must stop being ashamed of who they are. It is high time to face the persecutors who haunt the bright kid with thick glasses from kindergarten to the grave. For America’s sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought”. …show more content…
In lines 37-40, Fridman compares the pro-intellectualism that is prominent in east asia, and states that rather than being looked down upon for their studies, children in East Asia are often “held up as an example to other students”. This comparison enhances Friedman's argument by showing us an international perspective of the situation which in turn adds to the persuasive nature of the essay by providing contrast to who we choose who to praise in our country in relation to East Asia. This is also seen in lines 43-45, where he uses the comparison of baseball players to university level teachers, further showing us how we rate our skills in sports over intellectual