Westward Ho ! By Courtney White: Rhetorical Analysis

Courtney White’s article “Westward Ho!” explores manifest destiny, the concept of American exceptionalism, and being a part of the “latter-day pioneers” (White 1). “Manifest destiny was a phrase employed energetically in the mid-19th century by a variety of politicians, journalists, and economic boosters to express the general belief that the United States had an unstoppable destiny to expand from sea to shining sea in accordance with God’s manifest will” (White 1). White also speaks of his preference of the desert life over manifest destiny. White is a man who, as a young boy, experienced manifest destiny. White therefore has experience during the times of manifest destiny and has credible thoughts on the topic. He also tells of his experiences …show more content…
He uses so much imagery, because he wants the reader to put themselves at the places he mentions. He wants to bring the mentioned environment to life and make the reader feel like they are actually there. Imagery can also be added to help push or prove a point. Adding this element test the imagination of the reader and can make it more enjoyable to read. “In 1966, my family and I emigrated from Philadelphia to Phoenix, Arizona, in a covered station wagon, becoming part of a great flood of latter-day pioneers…” (White 1). Here he wants the reader to envision him and his family’s journey to the west. White has experienced this and now he is trying to give the reader a vivid image as to what he is discussing. This falls in with manifest destiny, as he and his family are going to be amongst the first people to explore the new …show more content…
“This is a personal story about manifest destiny” (White 1). From the first sentence, White said what the article was about and how important this word would be. White used American exceptionalism in combination with manifest destiny, as they have similar meanings. The definitions of these both put America on a pedestal. “This is the idea that America, by virtue of its development as a revolutionary democracy, its novel Constitution, and its perceived divinely directed ‘destiny’ to spread liberty as far and wide as possible, is different from every other nation on the planet, past or present, and thus exempt from the normal rules of history” (White 5). This is the definition of American exceptionalism and it is used with manifest destiny, because they resonate so well with each other. White felt like these were things that could be bad and come back to hunt