Exercise 40: Nosing Around (p. 55)
- What reaction does Anna expect from her readers?
Anna refers to the mother’s response to show the devastating consequences for the family. The mother makes an emotional appeal to readers. Anna expects us to feel sympathy for her sad plight and the death of her son.
- How does Jimmy depict the owners? What tactics does he use and what is their purpose?
Jimmy depicts the owner as irresponsible and careless. He thereby makes moral appeals to readers and provokes our anger at the owner whose negligence has such serious consequences. He uses an emphatic tone to encourage us to share his frustration. He also seeks to shame and isolate the owner and indirectly pressure for changes to the rules.
- How does Sally defend her rights? How does she want people to react?
Sally appeals to readers to be fair and show respect for her rights. She seeks to make people feel guilty at the fact that they are discriminating against her because of her dog that looks like a terrier. She defends her dog and states that is a “different” and “friendly”.
- What is the purpose of Jon’s personal experience? Whose views does he reinforce?
Jon appeals to our sense of fear. He draws attention to the fearful situation surrounding the vicious dog attack. He also arouses sympathy for his poor dog that had to visit the vet. He sparks our anger at the owners of these “vicious dog(s)” who, he believes, are clearly very careless. He infers that there are many more reported attacks than 35, which again arouses fear for those who want to enjoy a casual outing on the beach.
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