CR Exercise 2: Rhetors in Context

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CR Exercise 2: Rhetors in Context

In the short story Shipping Out by David Foster Wallace, he applies an ironic tone to express his emotions after indulging in a weeklong journey via cruise. The main part of his narration focuses on the travel brochure that describes the cruise. This document paints an idealistic picture of the cruise. Wallace complains that the brochure has an authoritative feel complimented with flashy luxury images that promote the cruise as a pleasant one, therefore causing patrons to spend their money to indulge (McCarthy and Wilson 58). The author discusses the diverse ways in which the brochure psychologically influences the customers. In a way, he gradually criticizes the different sections of the brochure from the engaging essay passage to the sections informing the patrons that everything will be sorted. Wallace was an excellent extremistwith an unusual,awe-inspiring language (McCarthy and Wilson 12). In addition, hisstyle goes beyond earlier styles since it is not onlywonderfully expressive and self-descriptive. The ordinary human liferarely unfolds in a defined manner, there are numerousthought within one individual, and people veer off seemingly endlessly before they resume to a starting point.The inherent complication captured by Wallace in his text and his never-ending concentration on the minute detail. Wallace is also popular in his use of footnotes and endnotes that contain hidden messages vital in understanding the cruise. In a culture that is characterized by laziness, the author cleverly hid additional information in the one place very few readers would look.

Patricia Marx also covers the topic of travel in her essay A Tale of a Tub. She uses appealing and descriptive language to attract readers to the recuperative aspects of the voyage across the ocean. Surprisingly, this section generates mixed results including humor. Marx’s humorous reaction to the cruise experience adds a welcoming layer to the literary text. This unique humor is not the narcissistic type that rapidly wears down the reader but a directed comedy that occurs ordinarily. Her publication is rife with ethical and social virtues of the commendable nature. In particular, it illustrates understanding of how the human mind works. She applied several analogies to assist the audience comprehend her experience and most readers appreciate being included in the story. For instance, when she discusses about her nocturnal experiences (McCarthy and Wilson 45). “At night, the rocking of the ship made me feel as if I were on a water bed, which I suppose I was- big time.” Children and adults alike can relate to this analogy making its usage excellent. Her choice of analogies ensures that the audience can relate the book with daily occurrences. Marx makes different comparisons and the most popular of these is when she compares her expedition to a vacation cruise liner. Patricia calls it a “nautical punishment” that she was duped into paying a heavy price. In fact, she paid for an original experience and the best place to write an exciting story. The genre of travel writing does not typically talk about such topics (McCarthy and Wilson 43). There is a major difference between the narratives on travel that originates from the gender of the authors. David Foster Wallace is a male author and his gender comes out in his style of writing. He focuses mostly on the facts of the account including his experiences. His descriptions are mostly lifeless and focus on accuracy of qualities such as texture, color and design. Conversely, Patricia Marx focuses on a handful of memorable instances and infuses all her emotions into the narration.

Works Cited

McCarthy, Andrew and Wilson, Jason. The best American travel writing. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.