In “We Are All Egyptians," Kristof uses a pensive, awed, and inspirational tone in order to tell us of his recent experience in Tahrir Square. He creates his tone with his diction, detail, syntax, and imagery. For example, Kristof is awed when he describes, "that seemed to be an example of determination that could never be surpassed," he is inspirational when he writes"Today, we are all egyptians", and he is pensive when he writes, "I will keep fighting."
I like Kristof's tone in “We Are All Egyptians” because it makes me believe once again in the human spirit, in the ability of bad times to bring out the best in people. The tone is perfect for such an essay about a person's descriptions of people during a critical period. The essay is beautifully written and really makes one think.
I think the tone in "We Are All Egyptians" would work perfectly for an AP essay because Kristof uses ample details to support his claims, he uses good diction and syntax, he wrote in the plain style, and the spelling and structure was good. Moreover, Kristof manages to reach out to the reader and really resonate with the reader, which is pretty essential in any essay, especially an AP essay.
Through Kristof's use of imagery, details, and synatx in “We Are All Egyptians,", he not only allows the reader to understand his essay better, but also helps it flow better.
Kristof took great advantage of syntax to better his essay. He used short sentences to convey ideas more forcefully, such as when he says, "I was awestruck." Even though Kristof is writing about events that happened in the past, he incorporates a lot of present tense into his essay, such as when he writes, "...they are willing to sacrifice their lives..." to also convey ideas forcefully. Kristof uses fragments, such as "So did many, many others" to create a choppy and distressed sound and also to emphasize ideas. Moreover, he he uses interrupters between the subject and the predicate, such as when he writes, "Maged, a 64-year-old doctor who relies upon a cane to walk, told me..." to create suspense and a kind of forward motion.
Kristof used details to help make his point hit home. He told the stories of a carpenter named Mahmood, Amr the cripple, Maged the doctor, Dr. Nawal El Saadawi the feminist, and Leila the young woman to make the movement in Egypt personalized. After reading the article, the revolution became less about a large group of rebels, but more about a collection of individuals each putting their own precious lives on the line for an idea.
Kristof uses imagery throughout his essay to add a certain spice to it that would not have existed otherwise. For example, when he writes, "...Mahmood whose left arm was in a sling, whose leg was in a cast and whose head was being bandaged in a small field hospital," and "...pitched battle involving Molotov cocktails, clubs, machetes, bricks, and straight razors." These words create an image of the battlefield in Egypt, of rebels who have made countless sacrifices for the cause, and yet still continues to do so; of rebels who are fighting for their ideals with whatever household items that they have lying around.
All in all, "We Are All Egyptians" is a enchanting and emotionally appealing essay that is neatly executed. There were no weaknesses whatsoever that I could discern in the essay.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/opinion/04kristof.html?_r=1
pass.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your review was so thorough and interesting, I had to read this article. You're right! It was beautifully written.
Awesome analysis!! All the requirements are covered extensively and the organization is great :) Pass!
ReplyDeleteYour writing demonstrates your understanding and interest in this current event.I can get a good feeling from about the article from you piece.
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