Reflective Essay Outside Reading
“So You Wanted to Be President of the United States” by Scott C. Reynolds
From “Dream Jobs You’re Glad You Didn’t Pursue”
McSweeney’s February 2, 2011
In “So You Wanted to Be President of the United States,” Scott Reynolds discusses the hilarious attempt of an ambitious boy to become the president. Through his use of humor and the tone that he creates, Reynolds is able to construct an essay that leaves the reader laughing and wanting to read more.
Reynolds crafts a tone that is ultimately academic and political. He employs complex syntax in doing so; the long sentences he uses create an appearance of intellect. However, Reynolds also carefully adds in humor and sarcasm to appeal to the reader. The language that he chooses involves a lot of non-sequiturs and metaphors that allow the reader to compare this man’s attempts to secure the presidency to the president himself. Reynolds use of the second person also significantly strengthens his essay; by talking directly to the reader he creates the illusion of giving a speech. Reynolds’s tone is also crafted through his clever use of repetition and parallel ideas. He begins his essay by discussing the president and his roles. “That man was the voice of the nation. The voice of the free world,” (Reynolds 2). The repetition of “the voice” in this passage furthers the oratorical tone that Reynolds adopts. The complex tone that Reynolds employs is definitely his biggest strength; he is able to more fully appeal to the reader and leave them laughing. Ultimately, this multi-faceted tone adds character to his essay; I loved reading the article and want to read more of Reynolds’s work. However, the informality of this piece would be inappropriate for an AP essay.
Reynolds also cleverly uses detail to subtly critique our government. He alludes to President Obama and the “change that the country needed” (Reynolds 2) and mentions that the presidency comes with “a target on your back” (Reynolds 5). These details add even more humor to the essay and allow the reader to enjoy a few quite pokes at government.
Pass.
ReplyDeleteNice job keeping everything short and sweet. You hit all the necessary requirements. Good job on your last reflective essay!
Pass.
ReplyDeleteNice job on not only telling us what tone he used, but describing it in detail, as well as how he constructed that tone.