Analysis of “O Americano Outra Vez” and “The Banking Concept of Education” Feynman’s purpose is to convince his audience of teachers and students that the current educational system is poor. In comparison, Paulo Freire, an educator, and philosopher from Brazil, a country where in 1964 an oppressive military government took control make a point for people to question the authority of any kind. He was actually arrested and spent two months in jail for being a “subversive influence” (Friere 62) or in other words for attempting to undermine an establishment. This background led Friere to make the philosophical connection between overpowering government to the education system in Brazil that he believes we should reform. He calls this system
…show more content…
Feynman is a brilliant Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose main claim in the essay “O American Outra Vez” which is taken from the book Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman, is that the act of being educated is to fully understand the material and make use of it, not simply to be able to regurgitate definitions. He goes on to make this claim after his many contributions to the theory of quantum mechanics, and his reputation at well-recognized universities such as Cornell and the California Institute of Technology where he taught physics. Richard was also different than many of his colleagues in that he “had a reputation as a patient and talented classroom teacher”. (Feynman 68) The author relies heavily on his accomplished background to make him credible, which is a useful tactic for his intended audience but also leaves some question marks for those who may need factual evidence in order for his argument to be considered sufficient. His purpose is to establish his credibility in order to convince his audience of educated professionals in fields ranging from education to politics that they must change the way the Brazilian education system teaches its students, and also make a connection between the uncooperative relationship of government officials and professors. In order to support his claim, Feynman includes sub-claims by analyzing the students’ fear of failure and how they are receiving a "self-propagating education” (Feynman 72). He also uses the textbook, by …show more content…
He does so by giving an analogy of a Greek scholar traveling to another country to find that they learn Greek through the pronunciation of words but have no knowledge of the true meaning behind the language they are speaking. He proceeds to say “That’s how it looks to me when I see you teaching the kid’s science in Brazil” (Feynman 73), meaning that he believes the students are learning nothing useful at all. Richard P. Feynman delivers an outspoken tone when he states his claim to his audience directly, and without any reserve and this adds to his credibility. In order to accept the personal experiences and analogy as valid arguments, the reader must believe that learning should not be “self- propagating” and that the teacher should not deposit information into the bank of the
Feynman is a brilliant Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose main claim in the essay “O American Outra Vez” which is taken from the book Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman, is that the act of being educated is to fully understand the material and make use of it, not simply to be able to regurgitate definitions. He goes on to make this claim after his many contributions to the theory of quantum mechanics, and his reputation at well-recognized universities such as Cornell and the California Institute of Technology where he taught physics. Richard was also different than many of his colleagues in that he “had a reputation as a patient and talented classroom teacher”. (Feynman 68) The author relies heavily on his accomplished background to make him credible, which is a useful tactic for his intended audience but also leaves some question marks for those who may need factual evidence in order for his argument to be considered sufficient. His purpose is to establish his credibility in order to convince his audience of educated professionals in fields ranging from education to politics that they must change the way the Brazilian education system teaches its students, and also make a connection between the uncooperative relationship of government officials and professors. In order to support his claim, Feynman includes sub-claims by analyzing the students’ fear of failure and how they are receiving a "self-propagating education” (Feynman 72). He also uses the textbook, by …show more content…
He does so by giving an analogy of a Greek scholar traveling to another country to find that they learn Greek through the pronunciation of words but have no knowledge of the true meaning behind the language they are speaking. He proceeds to say “That’s how it looks to me when I see you teaching the kid’s science in Brazil” (Feynman 73), meaning that he believes the students are learning nothing useful at all. Richard P. Feynman delivers an outspoken tone when he states his claim to his audience directly, and without any reserve and this adds to his credibility. In order to accept the personal experiences and analogy as valid arguments, the reader must believe that learning should not be “self- propagating” and that the teacher should not deposit information into the bank of the