In today’s society, money is the number one concern for most people. This comes with good reason. William Hazlitt, a nineteenth-century author, writes about the relationship between humans and money in his text “On the Want of Money.” Hazlitt acknowledges that money is a necessity to get by in life. His overall purpose is to show how money determines the quality of one’s life. One who is constantly troubled by not having enough money is certainly less comfortable compared to someone who has a sufficient amount. Not only does financial stability directly relate with comfort level, but it also opens the door to a myriad of opportunities. Hazlitt uses a variety of rhetorical strategies such as imagery, pathos, and diction throughout his piece
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Hazlitt is arguing that without money one’s true personality will be neglected. He does this through explicit diction by stating “...to be a burden to your relations, or unable to do anything for them; to be ashamed to venture into crowds...” (Hazlitt 39-41). The word choice of “burden” evokes a sense of guilt, as if one was dragging the people around him/her down. Hazlitt is explaining how a person with good intentions cannot act upon it due to not having money. The word choice of “ashamed” conveys the point of how a person would be reluctant to show their face to the public. He continues to state “...to lose by degrees your confidence and any talent you might possess…” (Hazlitt 42-43). Hazlitt’s use of the word “degrees” to describe the extent to which one’s confidence degrades emphasizes how a person would feel inferior to others. Just like how a thermometer gets colder when the temperature lowers, it is likely that because of this low self confidence and shame, a human would turn cold as well. One would possibly be coined as unapproachable, simply because they are financially in need. The latter part of the quote explains how not having enough money will possibly lead to unused potential. The use of the word “might” evokes a feeling of possibility. With money as a tool, everyone could try to manifest the talent they might have had. Hazlitt hints that one of the worse realities of being poor is going
Hazlitt is arguing that without money one’s true personality will be neglected. He does this through explicit diction by stating “...to be a burden to your relations, or unable to do anything for them; to be ashamed to venture into crowds...” (Hazlitt 39-41). The word choice of “burden” evokes a sense of guilt, as if one was dragging the people around him/her down. Hazlitt is explaining how a person with good intentions cannot act upon it due to not having money. The word choice of “ashamed” conveys the point of how a person would be reluctant to show their face to the public. He continues to state “...to lose by degrees your confidence and any talent you might possess…” (Hazlitt 42-43). Hazlitt’s use of the word “degrees” to describe the extent to which one’s confidence degrades emphasizes how a person would feel inferior to others. Just like how a thermometer gets colder when the temperature lowers, it is likely that because of this low self confidence and shame, a human would turn cold as well. One would possibly be coined as unapproachable, simply because they are financially in need. The latter part of the quote explains how not having enough money will possibly lead to unused potential. The use of the word “might” evokes a feeling of possibility. With money as a tool, everyone could try to manifest the talent they might have had. Hazlitt hints that one of the worse realities of being poor is going