The Book Is Dead Analysis

Text that engage us with thought provoking ideas often ask more questions than provide readers with answers. One text that does this is “The Book is Dead”, by Sherman Young, which is a confronting article about the claimed future of the book. Questions that are raised in this text that we are challenged with are related to the perception of books in our society, the accessibility of books and finally the advancement of technology. Young does this through the techniques of; repetition, descriptive language, emotive language and inclusive language.

When being compared to the past, our society’s perception of books has changed dramatically. Young raises the question regarding this by using repetition. The use of this technique, especially with the repetition of words/phrases

Examples of this technique being used includes; “The fact is that the book is already dead.”,”…and categorically deny rumours of its impending death.” and, “It seems that the book is always about to die.” These examples raise questions regarding why the book is no longer apart of our culture and is now seen as an “fashion accessory”, meaning that the book isn't being used for its main purpose which is to entertain/educate. The use of repetition throughout the article does not answer questions our society may have, but it raises more questions.Young also raises questions based on our perception of books today through the use of descriptive language. The effect of this technique is to present ways in which books have been deemed unnecessary in our modern culture, and support it using scenarios that are relatable. An example of Young’s use of descriptive language is when he describes about how books are laid out in an open home. “Whilst you’re stickybeaking, count the books, and make a note of whether they’re lying open on coffee tables, or sitting dog-eared on shelves.” With