Rhetorical Analysis Of Scott Sanders 'Making A Home In A Restless World'

In Staying Put: Making a Home in a Restless World (1993) Scott Sanders uses different writing strategies to refute the notion that mass migration is “inherently good”. The use of diction, context (historical and current) along with a light yet forward voice all contribute to Sanders' argument that migration is not effective. The author's purpose is to convince the reader that the idea of migration Rushdie is making won't fix a deeper rooted dissatisfaction with their life, and in order to do so they must find satisfaction with what they already have. The audience being targeted are people that usually move a lot whether it's far or not, and people who “root themselves in ideas rather than places”. We see diction in the first sentence with the

Why do Americans get bored and migrate? Why do they feel anxious to find something “better”? Being restless is a result of the underlying dissatisfaction Americans have in their lives, so they search for something they believe is missing in other places. Sanders tells us how the “Promised Land has always been over the next ridge or at the end of the trail, never under our feet.” This points out how Americans take what they have for granted. Life is what you make it and if you make it “rooted in ideas not places” you will never be content with your life if you are constantly searching for something you imagine and not living in the moment of what you are already presented with. Later in the text, Sanders tells us about the impact Spaniards had on Central and South America by “imposing on this New World the religion, economics, and politics of the old.” What is the point of migration for a “better life” if you’re bringing with you everything you’re unsatisfied with? That's simply just a change of scenery. Why disrupt others and their way of living to simply fill a void in your life? Seems selfish to me,

The dustbowl is a prime example of people being so fascinated by an idea due to a lack of contentment in their lives. People act on ideas and dollars when maybe that's the reason there's a void in their life because they are searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. I was a victim of this mindset for a very long time, the only thing that could fill my void was the eternal love of God. Towards the end of the passage Sanders says, “I quarrel with Rushdie because he articulates as eloquently as anyone the orthodoxy that I wish to counter” this creates a professional tone through the use of vocabulary but the word eloquently gives a light feeling that counters the straightforward statement of the “quarrel”. He also mentions the effect we could have on our environment. By stating his view on the topic directly, while using a professional and almost elegant tone, it makes it easier for the reader to process what Sanders is saying. It can be a lot to process when you're being called out for a deeper rooted dissatisfaction with yourself and your