Rhetorical Devices In Dave Cullen's Columbine

In the documentary “Bowling for Columbine”, which is directed by Michael Moore, there is an abundance of fallacious arguments. From the most obvious Post Hoc fallacies demonstrated to strengthen the director’s argument, to the numerous fallacies committed by Moore himself, there is no shortage from which to choose. The fallacies that I have chosen to focus on are the Post Hoc used by Moore’s “opponents” and his own hasty generalizations and composition fallacies.

Violence is easily seen in today's culture through criminal actions in the media. Surprisingly, "on average, American youth view more than 1,000 murders, rapes, and assaults each year" (Rockefeller 2). This shocking fact demonstrates just how prevalent violence is in the young minds of Americans. As a result of these viewings, young adults are sure to have psychological effects. Studies have proven that "children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation" (Tompkins 1). Children absorb what they see in the world around them, highlighting the importance of protecting them from violent media. The viewers are more likely to imitate violence, and are also more likely to feel hostile and aggressive. These impacts, along with a loss of empathy for humans, should not be encouraged in a classroom. While these effects are linked to violence in the media, they can be generalized to murder. In Cold Blood, is centered on the Clutter family murder, where Herbert, Bonnie, and their two children, Nancy and Kenyon, were killed. Therefore, murder is a prevalent theme. The family was gagged, tied down, and then killed individually, as the book describes in detail what happened that terrible night (Capote). Violence through murder is displayed explicitly throughout this novel, further justifying the banning of In Cold Blood in high school

Escape from Camp 14 is the true story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who is the only known person to have been born in and escape from a North Korean labor camp. After numerous interviews, the book’s author, Blaine Harden, details the reader about Shin’s life both inside and outside the camp as he assimilates into different societies. As critical information is revealed, Harden uncovers the corruption in the political landscape in North Korea. Shin’s life in Camp 14 accentuates the struggles to gain basic human freedom and elucidates food as an even more precious commodity. The straightforward diction and intriguing combination of rhetorical devices effectively expresses the brutality and oppression in the North Korean prison camp.

The aftermath of a school shooting is tragic, depressing, and causes hatred for the lives lost and the person who took them. Everyone, especially the media, tries to interpret why the shooter killed their victims, or why they felt the need to end others’ lives and their own. How We All Miss the Point on School Shootings, by Mark Manson, explains what and why these mass shootings happen. He starts by using examples of shootings and the murderer’s past. This article has great viewpoints, use of argumentative reasoning, and shows what truly happens in the hallways of a school shooting.

Rhetorical appeals reveal the hidden message the character is trying to convey. The rhetoric also highlights the character’s emotions, feelings and the significance of the text. It allows readers to gain a better understanding of the characters. Arthur Miler, the author of The Crucible, highlights the importance of mass hysteria through rhetorical appeals. John Proctor, the tragic hero is a loyal, honest, and kind-hearted individual. Proctor utilizes strong rhetorical appeals to highlight his emotions and his speaking style. Proctor values his reputation and name. Proctor was trying to end Abigail because she was falsely accusing other innocent people of witchcraft. The famous play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller explores Proctors speaking style

Mark Twain, an 18th century humorist, was known for his critical and satirical writing. In one of his most famous essays, “ Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses” Twain addresses Coopers inability to realistically develop a “situation” and his failure to effectively back up his stories in order for them to be more plausible. To dramatically convey his unimpressed and sarcastic attitude, he applies biting diction, metaphors and hypophora throughout this work .

The Chicago World’s Fair, one of America’s most compelling historical events, spurred an era of innovative discoveries and life-changing inventions. The fair brought forward a bright and hopeful future for America; however, there is just as much darkness as there is light and wonder. In the non-fiction novel, The Devil in the White City, architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer H. H. Holmes are the perfect representation of the light and dark displayed in Chicago. Erik Larson uses positive and negative tone, juxtaposition, and imagery to express that despite the brightness and newfound wonder brought on by the fair, darkness lurks around the city in the form of murder, which at first, went unnoticed.

Nike is one of the most respected brands out there. "Nike is so widespread across so many apparel and footwear categories, that right now I think their biggest competition is themselves," said by Ralph Parks who is the president of the 450-store Footaction chain. He also added that, "The brand is becoming bigger than life itself." Nike has been around for over 50 years, and according the Nike website, they got their name from the Greek goddess of victory, and it is pronounced "ny'-kee." Nike, like many other companies, uses forms of elements like ethos, pathos and logos to manipulate viewers in there advertisements and commercials. Pathos is used to manipulate the viewers emotionally and uses words of emotion. Ethos, unlike pathos, is a more

As Cullen continues throughout the book, he builds on the normal things in Columbine that turned into the massacre. Along with the normalities at Columbine High School, Cullen tries to make sense of each step the gunmen took before and during the killing spree. By analyzing the victims’ stories, and the killers’ journals and videos, Cullen shines light on the massacre. Although it may not bring any relief to victims and their families, Cullen’s team uncovered the psychopaths within Dylan and Eric. The discovery of their psychotic state, brought understanding to a new generation of killers. This discovery also brought light to the bullying aspect. The boys were in fact not motivated to kill due to bullying, but instead motivated by their mental state. Later in the book, Cullen explains, “‘Psychopaths are capable of behavior that normal people find not only horrible but baffling.’”(239) Cullen collected all evidence regarding the massacre and compiled it into the book Columbine to help not only the victims and their families, but also the rest of the world make sense of the massacre that took place on April 20, 1999. Labeling Dylan and Eric as psychopaths may have given some closure to those within Columbine, but it also highlighted the possibilities of the next killers planning the next

Everyone there must have been able to clearly visualize what it was like, and how the field was soaked with blood. He describes how horrible the fighting really was when he talks about the “smoke and hot lead pouring right through” the bodies of the soldiers. Coach Boone uses this imagery to draw the connection between present day and the past. He states that they are still fighting the same way, that there is figurative, and literal, smoke and hot lead pouring through their bodies by the way his team and community act toward each other. All this is for an appeal to their emotion. Coach Boone keeps referring to the battlefield as "hallowed ground," again not only alluding to the Battle of Gettysburg, but also portraying the history that

Resolutions are vehemently being sought to protect schools from possible attacks and to objectively eradicate deadly school shootings altogether. Commonly, security officers are placed in schools in hopes that increased surveillance will inhibit violent outbreaks (Crawford and Burns 2016). Mixed evaluations have been found in association with security officers, while some benefits reportedly transpire, experiences of disparaging consequences remain a regrettable reality as well (Crawford and Burns 2016). Additionally, active shooter drills routinely occur at schools across the nation, however, as Jillian Peterson and James Densley report in their CNN article titled, “The Usual Approach to School Security Isn’t Working,” studies indicate that

Last friday, a tragedy happened in the parking lot of Trey Community College in Springfield, Kentucky. What seemed to be an average morning turned into a scene from a horror movie. On this seemingly regular Friday morning, a sophomore student, Isaiah Teller, took out a gun and fired four shots at his fellow students, and then one at himself.

were so many casualties. The author often says that Columbine was not prepared for this.

On 14 December 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut was under attack. The attacker, Adam Lanza shot twenty children between six and seven years old, and six staff members. Then he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. His relatives said Adam was apparently bullied and beaten when he was enrolled at the Sandy Hook. Lanza had launched this massacre as “act of revenge.” To prevent this kind of massacres, people need to control and avoid bullying. They need to know what caused it and their consequences on victims. Due to show their dominance others and raise social status, family environment when they grow up, jealously, being victims before, social media and internet, teens are in depression and anxiety, have

Family, friends, and possessions pressure individuals through the imposition of values that contribute to identity; we are told that we obtain our qualities simply by inheritance and association. The environment one chooses to surround themselves reflects similar learned behaviors and thought processes. Deviating from the norm is often contemptible, but natural, according to author Jon Krakauer. Realizing that he did not want to become a carbon copy of his parents and environment, Christopher McCandless wandered the American West for two years, as a nomad, to reject society as he knows it―his family, friends, and possessions. He burns his money, abandons his car, and cuts all ties with his family on an identity crisis that would lead to his death in the inhospitable Alaskan tundra. These actions, taken alone, allows critics to characterize him as bizarre, irrational, and even suicidal. Furthermore, this characterization dissociates him from his own humanity, as the consensus was that McCandless must have been out of his right mind. To combat this impression, Jon Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to humanize McCandless in order to justify McCandless’s choices in spite of the fact that they lead to his death.