A Rhetorical Analysis Of It's Not About You By David Brooks

In the article “It’s Not About You” by David Brooks, Brooks takes a different perspective on this current generation. Many of the past generation huff at the thought of the new age group. Brooks has an incredible, somewhat biased opinion relating to the new generation, which is not unusual since he is from the current generation. Brooks discusses and explores the idea that the current generation is expected to grow up, get educated, get married and then have children. Brooks speculates that the new generation will be less family-orientated and maybe more adventurous and more about just living life and getting to experience things. Overall, Brooks wrote something different from most stories regarding generations.
This article is persuasive

due to its careful word choice, tone, and obvious purpose. He uses phrases such as "inestimable value" and "perversely structured" that paint a vivid picture of the message he is trying to convey. The tone of the article is somewhat depressive because he offers plenty of problems with little to nothing in solutions. This article is purposed towards students and parents to forewarn them of the perils facing fresh graduates. Brooks uses artful language selection and purpose driven paragraphs to create this persuasive article.
Brooks makes many other valid points throughout the article. For example, he demonstrates that students are on their own personal path to find what they want for themselves and will not listen to what people tell them they should do. This is why college is sometimes a problem when parents force their teenagers to go on to college even though they are not interested much by school or want to pursue a different type of career. Brooks makes a strong point when he says that the past generation basically were just formed into their career. Their parents said for them to become this and if at all possible, that is usually what people did. Overall, Brooks wrote something different from most stories regarding these differing generations and it gives one a fresh look into post graduate life.
The purpose of this article is to paint a more realistic picture of what kind of life undergraduates should expect upon graduation.

Brooks wrote this article to inform the new generation not to buy into the hype of the “baby boomers.” He uses a compare and contrast type of approach with contrasting explanations of people’s expectations versus reality. The author wants to convey a feeling of awareness, which almost feels foreboding. The intended audience is young American college students or those about to enter college. It's intent to them is to inform them of the dangers that follow graduation where expectations are concerned. This audience is comprised of both male and female readers of all races and

creed.
Although short and lacking detail, Brook’s thesis is straight to the point. He states “But, especially this year one is conscious of the many ways in which this year's graduating class has been in ill served by their elders” (Brooks). The author's thesis seems to be somewhat weak, undeveloped, and incomplete. To improve upon his thesis, he should include the points he laid out in his article on how and what exactly the past generations have done to make the new age unprepared. To have articulated these points, he would have made his position stronger and easier for the audience to digest.
Brooks has a negative connotation towards the older generations and how they have raised and prepared the new graduates of today. Brooks has chosen words and phrases that are stilted which makes one feel as if they are being forced into agreeing with what the author is saying. He uses language that seems strained and unnatural. For example, the author states that upon graduation students will enter a world that is “unprecedentedly wide.” Brooks also comments “College students are raised in an environment that demands one set of navigational skills, and they are then cast out into a different environment requiring a different set of skills which they will have to figure out on their own” (Brooks). This author uses repetition and long sentences which appear abnormal making the reader feel uneasy. With words such as “ruinous,” “rapturous,” and “miserable” the author gives the article a very gloomy essence. This causes students to feel as if no matter what is done, they will not succeed in the real world. By focusing on the negatives of previous generations and twisting reality, Brooks makes these people seem much worse than they really are.
His tone in the article is somewhat gloomy, and marks doom for undergraduate students that don’t heed his advice. He presents the problem clearly but offers little solution. Such as, Brooks states “College grads are often sent out into the world amid rapturous talk of limitless possibilities. But this talk is of no help to the central business of adulthood, finding serious things to tie yourself down to.” This quote is representative of the overall tone of the article because it shows a problem but offers no answer to help the reader overcome the issue. The underlying negativity of the article is palatable and straight forward, pulling no punches.
Brooks makes a comprehensive argument, however, it lacks in detail and example.

He seems to force what he says, rather than having a natural tone, causing the reader of the article to be left with a feeling of discontent. Although he only focuses on the negatives that those of the past have done, his argument is direct. No matter what generation you are from, it seems one always suspects the other of either ignorance or reckless abandon. It is easy for someone of the younger generation to point fingers at those who raised them, while taking no responsibility to take control of their lives. He does leave the reader with more awareness of a problem students face upon leaving school. This article is a persuasive piece due to the usage of Brooks principle message and literary

sense.