Writer, Alice Walker, in her narrative essay, “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self” recounts a tragic event that occurred at the age of 8 years old. Walker’s objective is to tell her readers about an event that changed not only her physical appearance, but how she considers herself, forever. While speaking about her life after an accident, she uses many rhetorical devices to speak to her readers. As well was adopting a sentimental tone to appeal to similar feelings and experiences in her readers. Plot development, metaphors, repetition, flashback, and Aristotelian appeals are only some of the devices used. However, those few certainly deliver the message that she is trying to point out to her audience.
Without a plot in narrative writing, …show more content…
Too much repeating can cause the reader to get fatigued so to speak. Having a small amount of repetition still conveys the message that is trying to be pointed out without boring the reader. Throughout the narrative essay, Walker repeats the phrase, “You did not change” three times. (37). The remark is not overused or underused. It is used enough times to tell the readers what Walker is trying to express. Now, this phrase is told to her from her grandparents, cousin, and brother. The main reasoning for repeating is to convey that her family members do not think she has changed. But in Walker’s mind she knows that her physical and mental state has changed quite dramatically. In fact, she hates that her family cannot see the change in her, that is why the phrase is …show more content…
But in Walker’s essay, she mainly focuses on the pathos device. Pathos appeals to the heart, emotions, and sympathy etc. As the story is being told in a flashback, it does not scream take pity on me. However, towards the end it does appeal to the heart, emotions, and sympathy. An example would be, “As I dance, whirling and joyous, happier than I’ve ever been in my life, another bright faced dancer joins me. We dance and kiss each other and hold each other through the night. The other dancer has obviously come through all right, as I have done. She is beautiful, whole and free. And she is also me” (40). That quote refers to the heart because she finally accepts who she is and how her eye appears. She has finally discovered her true beauty. That insecurity that Walker had since she was eight years old, is now gone. She feels as if a huge burden has been lifted from her shoulders. The emotion of her accepting herself is joyous for the audience. The reader is able to tell how much happier she truly is and that affects their emotions towards the essay. Now not only did it appeal to the audience's emotions, but it also appealed to sympathy as
Without a plot in narrative writing, …show more content…
Too much repeating can cause the reader to get fatigued so to speak. Having a small amount of repetition still conveys the message that is trying to be pointed out without boring the reader. Throughout the narrative essay, Walker repeats the phrase, “You did not change” three times. (37). The remark is not overused or underused. It is used enough times to tell the readers what Walker is trying to express. Now, this phrase is told to her from her grandparents, cousin, and brother. The main reasoning for repeating is to convey that her family members do not think she has changed. But in Walker’s mind she knows that her physical and mental state has changed quite dramatically. In fact, she hates that her family cannot see the change in her, that is why the phrase is …show more content…
But in Walker’s essay, she mainly focuses on the pathos device. Pathos appeals to the heart, emotions, and sympathy etc. As the story is being told in a flashback, it does not scream take pity on me. However, towards the end it does appeal to the heart, emotions, and sympathy. An example would be, “As I dance, whirling and joyous, happier than I’ve ever been in my life, another bright faced dancer joins me. We dance and kiss each other and hold each other through the night. The other dancer has obviously come through all right, as I have done. She is beautiful, whole and free. And she is also me” (40). That quote refers to the heart because she finally accepts who she is and how her eye appears. She has finally discovered her true beauty. That insecurity that Walker had since she was eight years old, is now gone. She feels as if a huge burden has been lifted from her shoulders. The emotion of her accepting herself is joyous for the audience. The reader is able to tell how much happier she truly is and that affects their emotions towards the essay. Now not only did it appeal to the audience's emotions, but it also appealed to sympathy as