I refer Rick Bragg to those writers who are allowed start writing carelessly — well-known experienced storyteller is paid attention to in advance due to his charisma of a noted writer, to say nothing of total “˜I like’ 7,707 users on Facebook in August 2012. Within just seconds after the first glance at the title of his article Gift of Loafering published recently (1) there emerged a quantum of trust to the author in my imagination. Having finished reading the paper I gained aura of satisfaction — which, in fact, was uneasy to explain. Most probably, he accomplished the goal because the title and the plot of the manuscript are in accurate accordance with each other — I thought. However, while the writer artistically meditates over loafering, I couldn’t help myself investigate the subject in more detail. My goal in this paper is to analyze Gift of Loafering if any gift exists rhetorically.
To achieve this purpose I compose the paper of three logically combined sections. In the first section there is a short investigation of Mr. Bragg’s past, i.e. I try to find out whether autobiographical, nurturing or other personal experience or feelings might be described in the article. In that case we would probably deal with an introspective essay or autobiographical research paper to a certain extent. In the second section attention is paid to the medium and genre of the article because this defines technical capabilities of any author to reveal the key point(s) as well as rhetorical methods to capture reader’s attention. I end with the discussion of the methods made use of and how did it happen that I feel author’s respect towards the audience.
1. Autobiographical aspects
Rick Bragg grew up in a family of mother working three quarters of the day and abusive alcoholic farther, according to BookBrowse (2). As noted in the official site of Random House, one of the world’s largest trade-book publisher, Rick Bragg ” learned to tell stories by listening . . . of the sadness, poverty, cruelty, kindness, hope, hopelessness, faith, anger and joy of their everyday lives, and painted pictures on the very haze of the early evening ” (3). Many of those stories have become the backbone of his books, including most famous All Over But the Shoutin’. For years he had been working for newspapers covering murders and unrest. Who would have any doubts that both his history and efficiency success to write profoundly, dazzling deeply inside your imagination as only children know how to perceive the outer world.
2. Plot analysis
A newspaper article is expected to cope with socially important theme using only a technically limited space, and the paper’s accessibility to a wide range of potential readers demands that the author gives proper description in a limited volume but not at the cost of plot quality. Throughout the text one may feel author’s ambition to cover a wide piece of audience by using intimate style of storytelling. The body of the story starts typically with ” I have worked since I was 11, digging in dirt “¦ Now I mostly stack paragraphs…”, while in the middle we meet appeal to the reader “You may not be familiar with the word if you were born north”¦” and finishes rather informally ” Most of us loafer only in the afternoon”. Thus, the anticipated audience might be any who agree to participate in the contemplation and especially those whose heart would warm towards the hero right after the last two sentences ” we were not greatly missed “¦ but, at least, occasionally, someone will lie and say we were “. Actually, when searching through the text it occurred to me that a large conversation of people’s diverse destinies and primordial search for being meaning is laying undersurface.
The hero presenting himself as the writer, I suspect that informal style has much in common with real vital expertise experienced by Bragg. We have to accept that this mode is confiding enough. His personal direct observation data are facts that we take for trust and had the description been not so masterly, we would hesitate whether should be taken for granted. Emotional response invoked as described earlier the reader’s feelings are trapped and can’t help be in sympathy with this ” “¦ 52 year old “¦ badly used and poorly maintained “.
3. Discussion
The problem of loafering or poverty as its inevitable and broad component is probably as old as the world is. With its negative appraisal mostly. For example, Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who set forth a treatise on rhetoric was known to conclude: “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime” (4). Loafing is surely a social encumbrance, but behind its socioeconomical conditions and reasons one may track down people’s destinies. The fate of any person being a unique human experience, the gift of life is ought to be properly appreciated. Life is capable of granting challenging opportunities and within the article Gift of Loafering I enjoy skillful literate description of exceptional gift of unaffected living. Extraordinary outlook on one’s fate by means of Rick Bragg’s knowledge of the world uncovers panhandler story in order to perform public show of this subject to a wide range of readers. Ingenuousness of this particular article should most probably be regarded to specific life experience of the storyteller and to me it explains my smooth emotions when finished reading.