Rhetorical Analysis Of Blue Collar Brilliance

Rose obtained broad learning all around as much academic years. His work consisted of studying psyche and human performance which made the groundwork for Investigation whom his family lived in the blue-collar society. Rose willingly exposes his adolescence to illustrate an approach that shows the multifaceted nature of such jobs, furthermore that it is much more than physical work. Rose Additionally endeavors that just because you come from a blur-collar life does not put a limit on success, and a quest for higher learning.

Overall my goal will be to support what the author is saying in this peace. Furthermore guiding my essay to show my audience that the blue collar work force is a harder way to go in life. Consequently this should resonate with most of my audience, majority of them are in this class to get ahead in their carriers.

In any successful work of non-fiction, authors employ the use of rhetorical analysis to articulate their main points and ideas. Mike Rose’s essay, “Blue Collar Brilliance,” focuses on the fact that looking down on blue-collar workers is a common occurrence in America and people fail to understand how a person can be intelligent if they had dropped out of school. Throughout the essay, he refutes this notion and explains why blue-collar intelligence may be different from the intelligence gained by years of schooling but it is of the equal stature, since it helps them in their occupation. Rose uses pathos and other rhetorical devices to inform the audience of his belief: blue-collar workers are under appreciated and overlooked as many people fail to see the difficulties and cognitive demands involved in their daily routines at work.

Many people consider book smart the only form of intelligence, but a lot of people who attended college and obtained a degree can’t perform a basic task of changing a flat tire. So does that make those people unintelligent? Mike Rose explains in “Blue Collar Brilliance” and Gerald Graff explains in “Hidden Intellectualism” that there are many different forms of intelligence. In Rose’s article, he explains how he observed his mother along with other family members work blue-collar jobs. He explains how everyone involved with blue collared work develops a sense of intelligence in many different forms. In Graff’s article, he explains how schools and colleges are doing a poor job at getting the full potential out of students. Graff thinks that if we give students things they like to read then they will progress to more scholarly readings. Both authors describe how society doesn’t value all types of intellectualism. Rose explains how people are stereotyping blue-collared jobs and not appreciating them. Graff explains how schools and colleges aren’t fostering intellectualism because they don’t take interests into account.

Many people in today’s society tend to believe that a good education is the fastest way to move up the ladder in their chosen. People believe that those who seek further education at a college or university are more intelligent. Indeed, a college education is a basic requirement for many white collar, and some blue collar, jobs. In an effort to persuade his audience that intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of education a person has Mike Rose wrote an article entitled “Blue Collar Brilliance”. The article that appeared in the American Scholar, a quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established in 1932. The American Scholar audience includes, Company’s , Employees,

Lubrano explains how middle-class children understand the importance of receiving higher education, while working-class children fail to see the purpose of preparing for a higher level in the short term. According to Lubrano, “Middle-class kids are groomed for another life” (534). Author Patrick Finn states, “Working-class kids see no such connection, understand no future life for which digesting Shakespeare might be of value” (534). In answering this question, Lubrano must look at the various circumstances that account for the poor performances among working-class individuals, the supportive relationships middle-class students have with their parents and teachers, and how children of working-class parents struggle when preparing for later life. In the address, Alfred Lubrano must address the difference in treatment between working-class and middle-class children attending

Throughout his editorial, Brooks applies his common sense and general observations to support his argument. The first line that Brooks uses as an attention-grabber is, “Over the past generation, members of the college-educated class have become amazingly good at making

The article "Some Lessons from the Assembly Line" by Andrew Braaksma, gives you ride a through the life of a blue-collar worker and the importance of investing in yourself with a college degree. The author discusses how spending summers working as a blue-collar worker at a factory in his hometown, makes him appreciate the opportunity to attend college. The author explains what his life would be like had he not decided to obtain a college degree and add value to his life. I can relate to the author from my own personal experiences with my job and learning how valuable a college education could be. I have missed several opportunities to advance and move up with my company because I didn't have a degree. Now that I’m in school I can also

In Andrew Braaksma 's essay “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line,” he tells his personal insights, lessons learned and experiences, while he works a temporary summer job in a factory located near his hometown during college summer break. Braaksma describes his deep appreciation for receiving his education as he attended college and seeing what his life may have been like working a blue collar job in a factory if he did not go to college. As the majority of college students, Braaksma works during the summer to pay for his college books, beer as well as to reduce his summer housing expenses. More importantly, Braaksma chooses to move home and work at the local factory while his classmates are busy working in food service or at a local retail store. Obtaining a higher education will take him far in life without the threat or possibility of having to work a blue collar job in a factory.

He challenges widespread expectation of all middle-class Americans: “‘vocational training’ is second class. ‘College’ is first class” (Murray 632). This passage, while appearing to offer a simple definition to the reader in order for him or her to be informed of the subject matter argued herein, already states his position in the matter.

He integrates value ethos through “There is something wrong with the system of values in a society that only has derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious” (P.1). He declares that American society, which degrades academics to the point where derogatory terms are created is considered wrong since being devoted to education doesn’t indicate unequal amount of work. He states it right to praise anybody that’s committed towards a subject regardless of if it’s based on academics. Fridman utilizes that in order for the readers of the New York Times appreciate intellectuals rather than degrading since any individual dedicated towards any subject is equal to someone pursuing academic success since they all commit their efforts in the process. Then he employs sociological ethos through “For America’s sake, the anti-intellectual values that pervade our society must be fought” (P.6.). Fridman presents that the culture of America spreading anti-intellectualism across the nation is wrong since that states America is ineffective as a country compared to others. Academically driven leaders are those that command a nation towards success so discouraging education is a error in American society. Fridman applies that in order for the readers of the New York Times recognize the value of intellectuals instead of diminishing their worth since individuals successful in

He uses strong diction as he addresses how colleges are increasingly becoming “conventional bureaucracies” because behind every college program is a need for growth (Blank 263). This need he argues is how connections between colleges and outside companies begin to formulate as colleges develop “employment favoring tactics” (263). Thus colleges build up their clientele to help advertise such well known business corporations and offices to advertise “better jobs.” Blank continues by providing the most optimistic statistical evidence which “envision a 14.8 percent slice of 1975 job market, while they bring 31 percent of 18 to 24-year old age into college” (263). This estimates to about 10,664,000 students in college, “therefore, even if every one of the so-called professional and technical jobs were indeed reserved for them (which is itself patently impossible), the number of job openings would still be inadequate” (263). These facts introduce and support the idea that receiving a college degree is not to be associated with the key to “reserving a better job”. The details and numbers build an appeal to logos and impress upon the reader that this is a problem worth discussing, the statistics prove that although there are many students in college, not everyone will receive a job as the number of job openings are

The story “Blue-Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, was originally published in the American Scholar, in 2009. Rose is an American education scholar and was born in 1944. Rose has written several articles on literacy matters. He studied the struggle of the working-class America. Throughout the article, Rose used personal stories to persuade the reader blue-collar workers are very intelligent despite having a formal education. Rose’s agenda could be compared to that of Aristotle regarding their similar ideas on persuasion. Aristotle, was a well-known Greek philosopher, implemented three key terms: ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade his audience. Much like Aristotle, the author of Blue-Collar Brilliance, portrays the importance of his mother and uncle’s jobs by them showing intuition, intelligence, and multitasking thus demonstrating ethos, pathos, and logos.

Of the two articles, “Hal and Me” and “Blue Collar Brilliance” I personally liked the second article better. Although both articles were insightful and entertaining, “Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, was presented in a more engaging manner which caught my attention.

College education has consistently remained the most significant factor dividing the haves and the have-nots in the United States. A diploma does not merely bring increased earning, social status, but even a better choice of marriage partner (Cohen). Anya Kamenetz wades right into the current zeitgeist of college affordability by arguing that we may have reached a post-college world in which graduates armed with formal education and credentials will cede to the creative and curious self-learners. It is not an accident that this image is starkly similar to the mythical pull-yourself-by-bootstraps entrepreneur of the Silicon Valley who vanquishes the dull suited MBA to conquer the castle of economy. Indeed the coinages “edupunks” and “edupreneurs” point to such relationship. And yet, is the fabled Silicon Valley formula applicable or even desirable in education?