Rhetorical Analysis Of America Needs Its Nerds

Author and Harvard graduate, Leonid Fridman, in an excerpt of his article, America Needs Its Nerds, points out America’s anti-intellectualism. Fridman’s purpose is to inform the reader of the contempt held for the intellectually curious and call for a change in the country’s attitude. He adopts a condemning tone to make the reader aware of the issue and encourage them to change their mindset. Fridman begins this excerpt with a strong claim. “There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious” He begins with his claim, clearly stating what the excerpt will be about, without any pretense or pomp. Fridman likely chose to

The dictionary is not biased or affiliated with any single mindset. It is an exceptionally strong source because of its renown credibility and unbiased material. By including this in his piece, Fridman strengthens his claim significantly and makes the following backing more meaningful to the rest of the piece. Throughout the excerpt Fridman uses plural first person pronouns. His continued use of “our” and “we” creates a bridge between him and the readers. Though the association is a negative one it still creates a significant bond. The assumed audience is American and so is the author. Fridman emphasizes and utilizes this information by uniting the reader with him under this banner of anti-intellectualism. The effect of this purposeful word choice is to make the reader consider their own role in the demonization of learning. It effectively links the reader, not only with the author, but also with the presented issue. The next piece of data used is from Harvard. Harvard is known as a home of scholars and highly intelligent individuals. Fridman challenges this connotation by citing the “rampant anti-intellectualism” within the college. This data and the backing that follows has a profound effect on the reader. If even the highest point in America’s intellectual scene has been poisoned by this stigma then the implication is that nowhere is safe for those seeking unbridles

He states, “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” The rest of the piece does not address this crucial claim and yet it still supports the overarching theme of rejecting intellectual pursuit. Americans are known for their preference of physical prowess over intellectual pursuit and Fridman acknowledges that however briefly. It is likely he chose to touch on the subject for only a moment because a further analysis would derail the purpose of the passage. Fridman pulls examples from across the educational spectrum, from elementary school up through college. This variety of examples emphasizes the widespread and deeply engrained prejudice expressed throughout the United states. The sheer size of his example highlights the enormity of the issue. If this ostracization occurred only in the lower academic level it would not be considered an issue. Fridman’s variety of examples discourages argument that this could be an isolated phenomenon. Halfway through the except the tone changes from pointing out a flaw to calling for a social change. “enough is enough. Nerds and geeks must stop being ashamed of who they are.” Though the paragraph has not changed, this new claim shifts the focus and tone of the piece. The rest of the excerpt is a call to action where the first half only drew attention to the