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Exercise 24: Feeding toddlers (p. 38)
Taking it further: Write a paragraph
In Feeding Toddlers Ms Keon adopts a censorious (judgemental/disparaging) tone to criticise the father, who shamelessly gives his son alcohol to quench his thirst. She derisorily refers to the proud “so-called” father to criticise his lack of judgement. Note the quotation marks that convey her sarcasm and enable her to create a distance between the father and her sensible readers. Ms Keon also uses colloquial words such as “the silly father thought it was a hoot” to further deprecate the father and encourage readers to feel indignant at the manner in which he is trivializing his behaviour. The metaphor of the “clown” who practices “circus stunts” reinforces her belief that the father is flippant and enjoys making fun of his son. Referring to the father as a clown is another example of exclusive language, which seeks to isolate and shame him. It positions us, sensible people, to fear his foolish actions and invites us to share the author’s high moral stance.
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