Corn-Pone Opinions Rhetorical Analysis

In Mark Twain's story "Corn-Pone Opinions" some rhetorical devices he uses to convey his main idea that people in society get there opinions and thoughts from people other then themselves through the use of details and a critical diction. Throughout the piece we see Twain use both hypothetical and social-typical examples. Twains illustrates to us a hypothetical example, writing, "If Eve should come again, in her ripe renown, and reintroduce her quaint styles- well, we know what would happen" (Twain 718). He then goes on to discuss the social typical example of the popular hoopskirt fashion trend. These details help support his purpose by giving examples, making it more clear for us to understand. 

            His use of critical diction further supports his main idea. Twain evaluates society and how they take other peoples opinions and refers to it as “unconscious and not calculated” (Twain 720) and also uses the words “mutilated morals” when discussing individuals ideals in their chosen political party. These words Twain uses have negative connotations and contribute to a critical diction because they help him evaluate and judge society.

            In the world today, we can clearly see how what Twain discussed is relevant. Through social media it makes it easier and easier for people to steal ideas and copy others. One example is fashion. Most teenage girls (and boys for that matter) follow stars such as Kylie Jenner on Instagram, and most of the people who follow her try to mimic her outfits and makeup choices. Another example is music. Most people listen to the same exact music because that’s what’s “cool”. Most teens do not have their own style, or their own taste, it all comes from other people. 

A Speech on Legalizing Marijuana

            Some people believe that marijuana should not be legalized but many others – including myself – disagree. Marijuana may once have been used only as a recreational drug, but approximately 2.6 million Americans use it for its medicals benefits. These users suffer from many chronic disease and illness such as arthritis, bipolar disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, and even some AIDS related illnesses. If this were a medical solution for someone, would it be ethical to take it away? Do we want these people to endure this pain?

            I suffer from severe anxiety and have my entire life. Ever since I was a child, psychiatrist after psychiatrist tried to find ways to help me cope or find medications I could take. Nothing worked for me until I tried marijuana. Using marijuana daily helped my anxiety levels go down, making it easier to live my day-to-day life. I don’t want other people to have to go through the daily challenges I had to, and by legalizing marijuana, few will have to. Marijuana isn’t a dangerous drug, yet it is illegal. Pharmaceuticals such as Xanax are legal but are causing a huge epidemic amongst teens for its recreational use. More dangerous drugs are out there that are legal.

            Some of Zinsser’s teachings I used from chapter 10 in his books include contractions, the use of the dash, and pruning out little qualifiers. I used contractions to simplify phrases like “is not” to “isn’t” to help make the flow of my sentence smoother. I used a dash to break up my sentence and add my opinion in a clear way but also so that it would still make my sentence without what’s in the dash appropriate. Lastly I pruned out little qualifying words like “quite” from phrases like “I suffer from quite sever anxiety”, to help and get rid of unnecessary words and clutter.