Language Analysis Solar Sellout

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Language Analysis Solar Sellout by: Bob Walsh The article ‘Solar Sellout’ written by Bob Walsh, is an opinion piece which focusses on the decision made by the Mayor of Greenville to charge a ‘greenhouse levy’ on all premises of the town that don’t have solar hot water systems. Walsh’s contention is that the tax is not fair on the poorer individuals of the community who can’t afford solar systems and therefore will be made to pay. He also contends that the Mayor is putting the tax forward purely for his and his colleagues own benefit. The intended audience for this article would be the working class population who are the ones going to suffer from the tax and essentially become out of pocket. The article is accompanied by a medium sized image which reinforces Walsh’s contention that the Mayor is an all powerful yet selfish leader of the community. The first thing the reader notices about the article is the image which portrays the character of the Mayor. He’s depicted to be a person of obvious wealth, shown by the ‘bling’ worn around his neck and his incredible size. The size of the Mayor also gives the impression that he’s a force to be reckoned with and that the population of the town don’t have a chance of standing up to him. The image shows the two classes of wealth present in the town, one, being the rich, represented by the large, well kept houses both with solar panels on the roof, yet also clearly the minority. Two, being the working class represented by the collection of smaller houses who aren’t able to afford the panels. The reader then sees the families living in the less attractive houses being forced to pay the Mayor their well earned money, when clearly they have many a good use for it. One of the main ways in which Bob Walsh appeals to the audience is through denigrating his opponents. Using unflattering insults such as, “lazy, hippie and
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