The most significant structural element in “The
Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Jonathan Kozol is its varying syntax
throughout. The particular ways in which the author utilized this aspect dramatically
change the meaning and the tones of the work.
To emphasize a point Kozol will employ short,
choppier sentences. Attention is drawn to these sentences, as they are greatly
outnumbered by lengthier ones. The effect this has for the reader is that one
can immediately pick up the thesis of a paragraph, as it is often found in the
shorter sentences. The lengthier sentences consequently are employed to further
expand upon the author’s initial points. With the frequent usage of sentences
of greater length the work as a whole flows in a smoother, more natural way
which enables the reader to focus less on the structure and more on the
content.
The juxtaposition throughout the work is quite
important. The author will make a statement or a generalization. Usually one
short sentence, this will be what the following paragraph is centered about. It
will be backed up with evidence and examples. The combination of the two gives
the work a more relatable tone as the examples are often individual’s stories,
making the reader more sympathetic as well. It also generally helps to
emphasize the importance of what the author has to say by going into specific
detail.
The syntax of the work as a whole is important.
Towards the beginning the author tends to be broader and less descriptive about
each issue presented. As it progresses the author focuses more on individual
points. This is noteworthy because Kozol capture’s the audience’s attention at
the start and keeps it throughout the whole work by going into greater detail
near the end.
The ways in which the sentences conveying facts
versus those of opinion are arranged is also noteworthy. Since the author
switches between truth and generalizations often the work is given both formal,
as well as informal, tones. This makes the work easier for many to read, and
more interesting as well, because it is not overwhelmingly filled with either
fact or opinion but rather a balance of the two.
Overall the syntax of each sentence as well as of
the work as a whole is a noteworthy structural element of “The Human Cost of an
Illiterate Society” by Jonathan Kozol. It not only helps strengthen the
arguments throughout but helps to make the work more relatable by influencing
the tones as well.
I appreciated your focus on syntax and attention to detail here. I felt like you really broke down the article into its most basic elements, and looked at it very closely. You made some really good points, and called my attention to a few things I hadn't noticed, like the sentence length.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good observation, some examples would have been nice though. The short sentences are definitely important. I would include that not only do the author's examples reach out for sympathy but also empathy as one may or may not have undergone a similar stress or situation before.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed the changing lengths of sentences, but I would also like to point out the changing sizes of paragraphs as well. I liked how you pointed out how the shorter sentences helped identify the thesis.
ReplyDeleteWe actually wrote about really similar topics for our post, so I definitely agree with a lot of your points. One aspect of the essay I didn't pick up on that you mentioned, however, is that Kozol arranges the sentences that include facts and opinions differently. This inevitably is a large structural component, so good job on that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the syntax of the passage is a very important structural element. I liked how you focused on the significance of the varying sentence structure and how it affects the flow and meaning of the passage.
ReplyDeleteThis post about the syntax used in the essay/selection definitely hit on point. I actually have a better understanding on how the syntax contributes to the piece as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the synatax is very important. The lengthier sentences along with the choppy ones gives the effect of a list. This quality evokes empathy in the reader as it is clear that there are a multitude of things that illiterates struggle with.
ReplyDeleteI liked your focus on sentence length but I would have liked to see some specific examples referenced because he had some great short sentences. I also really liked you discussion of the tone and your usage of the word juxtaposition. I think there could have been more discussion on the reason for which sentences were short.
ReplyDeleteLike what our classmates posted in the comments above, I really enjoyed how you mentioned the short choppy sentences in regards to the work as a whole. Yes I do agree that the choppy sentences bring attention to the segment, but do you think perhaps the writer also used shorter less advanced sentences to show the thought process of the illiterate people? When they try to process something they can't understand their mind functions in little bits at a time. I think the reader used the short sentences to help show the thought process of the illiterates. I really liked your focus on the syntax as well, the use of syntax is very important to the message of the essay.
ReplyDeleteI like the points you made and the correlation you made between sentence length and the author's point. I liked the way you deconstructed the essay and looked at the structure as a tool to augment that "what is being said part" of the essay. Thank you for noting things which I did not initially notice.
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