Rhetorical Device Analysis

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Satire: Literary compositions, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule. Example: “Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s” “Advice to Youth,” Mark Twain Analysis: In “Advice to Youth,” Twain points out that the youth of society is gradually becoming like everyone else, which discourages their individuality. His main idea is that conventional wisdom is often hypocritical or unreal. The audience is self-explanatory from the title, as he is directing this essay toward the youth of the century. Twain finds it important for the youth to realize that they must begin thinking for themselves rather than listening to those in authority or simply just others in general. Moral lessons may be taught or realized by self, and does not necessarily have to be swallowed by teachers, parents, etcetera. In this satire, Twain gives the solid, moral advice to listen to yourself rather than take on moral lessons from others, as what seems to be the truth does not always prevail. From the satire, one realizes that Twain truly believes in moral behavior, as he jokes that he has not learned how to "practice this gracious and beautiful art." And art it is, not reality. The audience would then have differentiated this valuable lesson and remembered it, as it is usually the case with satire. By giving advice to youth, Twain uses satire to mock the way our culture has been giving advice to the youth. He tells the audience to “[b]uild [their] character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts”, mocking those that pretend that their intentions are simply to give advice when actually, they are attempting to lead the

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