Rhetorical Analysis Of Nerds By David Fridman

Fridman develops his argument through the careful cultivation of his paragraphs. He shifted his style and tone throughout the piece in order to convey his evolving sentiment to the reader. As he plowed onward throughout the piece, his tone grew agitated, and his resolve became more firm. He maintained a few key tactics that were applied in the beginning to preserve the unity of the piece, but used his paragraph variation to create contrast and provoke thought. In paragraphs 1-4 Fridman established the purpose of the piece through his biased assessment of the “nerd” situation in America. He delivered this with a peeved--almost resigned--tone that highlighted the grievousness of their predicament. Statements like, “...a society that only has derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious,” were made to make the “nerds and geeks” seem like the innocent prey, getting picked on by the world. This tactic established the way that nerds are perceived, and cause the audience to feel empathetic towards Fridman’s cause. He then continues on to discuss all the instances in which the academically inclined folk are ostracized in polite society. Throughout all of this, Fridman keeps his tone obviously biased, but still composed. This

These paragraphs began with a strong, “Enough is enough.” that alerted the reader to the austere nature of the rest of the article. The dominant message throughout the latter half of the piece is centered around “nerds” sticking up for themselves. Without giving any explanations on how to do so, Fridman continues to berate America’s academic situation with increasing vigor and intensity in an attempt to garner support from the reader. He concludes with a series of thought-provoking questions that instill within the reader, a pinch of doubt over the future of academic