Analysis Of Mark Honigsbaum's 'Changing The World One Boy At A Time'

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In the essay, “Changing the World One Boy at a Time” written by Mark Honigsbaum, boys are lost or they are in crisis. These boys have troubles in their everyday life. The author illustrates that boys need a mature male adult to help them guide to the right path. To convey his message, Honigsbaum explains that these boys have psychological issues. He then states that the event, where they receive a psychological test, reveals a boy’s personality. Lastly, he argues that to make the right decision, a boy needs the guidance of a mentor. He presents those arguments with the use of statistics, expert opinion, rhetorical questions, anecdotes and comparison. To begin, the author demonstrates that some boys show bad psychological behaviors. He mentions …show more content…

The author emphasizes the fact that a mentor has more knowledges and experiences than a boy. In the essay, Honigsbaum uses the example of the story of Parzival. In the example, the key of the story is that when he goes for the first time to the Grail Castle, “he [is lacking] understanding and confidence” (15). After he meets the wise mentor, he goes for the second time and it is a success (15). The writer argues that with the help of a wise person, a young man will gain more knowledges and experiences. In addition, the author uses the comparison to demonstrate the similarity of his story and the example of Parzival’s story. He starts by telling about a young man which is paired with him (15). The boy says to him that he has issues and he is looking for clarity (15). Later, when he returns to see him, he tells that he will do a drumming career (16). One week later, the author calls him and he answers that “his passion for drumming was undimmed” (16). However, he is willing to change because “[he feels] a lot more stable” (16). The boy has the similar issue as the character from his example. The both need a person to help them. In brief, when a mentor helps a person, he will receive a guidance to the right path. In conclusion, Mark Honigsbaum wrote “Changing the World One Boy at a Time” to prove that boys and young men need guidance from a mature male adult. He starts by mentioning that these boys have psychological problems. He then says that the “Quest” event will help them to retrieve their personalities. Lastly, he mentions that to follow the right path, these young men need the help of a

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