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Rhetorical Analysis Of Michael Moore's Idiot Nation

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004. In a society notorious for its oblivious politicians, questionable educational system, and money hungry big corporations, this senseless quote made by the forty-third president of the United States George W. Bush, is only one of the many incidents validating Moore’s claim that we as Americans lack sufficient articulation and education. If there could be a spokesperson for criticizing American politicians, the educational system, globalization, large corporations, the war in Iraq, and many other debatable issues, American author of “Idiot Nation”, Michael Moore would be the ideal candidate. In this piece, Moore argues that America is a nation built upon a clueless, illiterate society of people, a sub-par educational system, and manipulative …show more content…

He appeals to the reader’s emotions by providing a personal anecdote of his own experience with education. This is a very useful rhetorical strategy because it helps for the reader to connect with the author and feel as though they can relate since they have been through similar experiences. He talks about his transition from private to public school, and all the differences between the two schools. His experience with high school was one where it was more of a prison then an actual learning facility. Moore states that,” I was now walking the halls of a two-thousand-plus-inmate holding pen” (Moore, 127).This quote exemplifies how school was more of a place where adults controlled their students ,and confined them instead of taking the time to mold them into productive members of society. The use of the personal anecdote provokes sympathy from the audience, and causes them to make an emotional connection that aids at persuading the reader that the American education system needs to

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