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Analysis Of Life After High School

Decent Essays

The essay ‘Life After High School” by Annie Murphy Paul is about the effect of a persons high school experience on what they do later in life. Paul had been asked to be the commencement speaker at her old high schools graduation which made her wonder if our high school experience determines who people become as adults. To see both sides of the argument Paul interviewed some experts and read studies on the topic. Some of the research has shown that there some truth to the idea that high school has the ability to shape who we will become in the future. This includes research taken from the Wisconsin Longitudinal study, which is one of the largest and longest-running research project on the effect of high school. For example that jocks are in …show more content…

Another rhetorical device used in the essay is a simile when talking about the possible impact of high school as it is either lasting or “faded as an orchid corsage.” This was a excellent use of a simile as it creates the comparison of a flower slowly diving to the impact of high school. This allows the reader to understand how high schools impact on your life slowly becomes smaller as the years pass after graduation. Paul also uses rhetorical questions to enhance her writing. When trying to convince the reader that your high school experience does not need to but limits on you life she uses a rhetorical question “who, after all would have predicted that a long-haired loner like Bruce Springsteen from Freehold High School in New Jersey would become the Boss?” Everyone knows the answer to the question but, it is able to show how no one really knows what will happen to you after high school. Just like Bruce Springsteen who no one ever thought he would become a famous rock star. Sarcasm was also a literary device used by Paul. By stating Kurt Vonnegut Jr. writing on our cultures obsession with high school is more unnerving than “the firebombing of Dresden and the aftermath of the Vietnam war.” A war is much more unnerving then a popular culture obsession but, it is able to show how much high school still influences people. With the use of literary devices Paul was

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