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Activity8
RhetoricalEffectsofSentenceLengthandComplexity

Sentence length and complexity help shape every authors style. While some writers
craft long, circuitous sentences, others employ short ones. Both styles can pack a
punch. David Brooks, Vershawn Ashanti Young, and Audre Lorde make different
stylisticchoicesabouttheeffectsofsentence lengthandrepetition.InHonorCode,for
example,Brooksusesmanyshortsentences.

VershawnAshantiYoung,Prelude:TheBarbershop

In contrast toBrookss useof shortphrases,VershawnAshantiYoungsometimesuses

a thoughtful combination of short and long sentences that includerepetition ofcertain
words and phrases. The following excerpt from the second to last paragraph of his
Preludeisagoodillustrationofvariedsentencelengthaswellasstrategicrepetitionof
wordsandphrases.

ItmightseemlikeagoodthingthatIwaskickedout.
ItmightseemasifthisexileexpeditedtheleaveIwasseeking.Butthe
problemthatthisbitofpersonalhistorypresents,theproblemthatmy
monographtheorizes,
theproblemthatmytriptothebarbershopillustrates
isthis:becauseIaintnohomeboythoughIlongto
beandwoulddoanythingshortofkillingtogainthatidentityImnot
ghettoenoughfortheghetto.BecauseImnotawhiteboy,Imnotwhite
enoughforwhitefolks.AndbecauseIwasntborninthemiddleclass,Im
notcompletelyacceptedbythemainstream.Andsometimes,ifyoucan
believeit,Imnotghettoenoughforthemainstreamormiddleclass
enoughfortheghettoorblackenoughforwhitefolks!Thepsycho
emotionalpainthatthisliminalexistencecreates,thepainofnegotiating
multipleculturalandracialworlds,isfartoogreatformany.Ivebeen
doingitforalongtimeandhavebeenabletocopeonlybytransforming
mypersonalproblemintoanintellectualone.InsomewaysImchipping
awayattheburden.Butfartoomanyarenotabletodothis.Andwhy
shouldtheyhaveto?

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Now, imitateYoungs prose style by writing a 10sentence paragraph inthe spiritofhis

voice,maintaininghissentencelengthandstructure,but
writingabout yourselfandyour
own experiences with language, gender, culture, race, masculinity, femininity, or
identity.

Notebookpaperneededforthisexercise.Attachtothispagewhencompleted.
Yourpartnerwilleditforclarityandheorshewillinitialitafteraddingacomment.

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EssentialQuestion:
Whatarethetyranniesyouswallowdaybydayandattemptto
makeyourown,untilyouwillsickenanddieofthem,stillinsilence?

Remember:

Amongotherissues,eachofthearticlesinthismoduleconsidershowwemight
respondtothewaysthatsocialenvironmentsandnormsconstrainus.Aboutaboy
findingthatschoolculturedoesnotvaluehispreferredwaysofbehaving,
David
Brooks
imagines,

InKindergarten,hedwonderwhyhejustcouldntbegood.Byjuniorhigh,
hedloseinterestintryingandhisgradeswouldplummet.Thenhedrebel.If
theofficialschoolculturewasbernurturing,hedbebercrude.Ifitvalued
cooperationandsensitivity,heddevotehismentalenergiestoviolentvideo
gamesandaggressivemusic.

Inhisbooksprologue,Prelude:TheBarbershop,
VershawnAshantiYoung
describeshisambivalenceabouttrying(andfailing)tofitinasahomeboyand
discussestheacademicandeconomicsuccessheeventuallychosetopursue.
Becauseofhischoices,hereflects,Ididnthavetofighttogetoutoftheghetto.Iwas
kickedout.Andfinally,
AudreLorde
suggeststhatpeoplemaytryatallcoststo
accommodatesociallyimposedconstraints,writing,
Whatarethetyranniesyou
swallowdaybydayandattempttomakeyourown,untilyouwillsickenanddie
ofthem,stillinsilence?
Lorde,however,alsosuggestsanalternativetoeither
sufferingsilentlytofitinorrebellingsheencourageslistenersandreaderstospeak
outanduselanguageandactiontochangethesocialconditionsofourlives.

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FINALASSIGNMENT:

AfteryouhaveconsideredLordesquestionaboveandthealternativeshe
subsequentlyproposes,
writeaspeechorapublicserviceannouncementthat
proposesmeaningfulchangeinyourcommunityrelatedtotheissuesraisedin
thesereadings
.Decideonanaudiencetoaddressyourclassmatesparents
younger(orolder)studentscoachesadministratorsteacherschurch,city,or
communityofficialsandcomposeanargumentbothdescribingaparticular

tyranny]
or
challenge
andproposingchangesthatmayimprovethelivesof
thosewhoendureit.LikeButler,Tannen,Brooks,Young,andLorde,youmay
useyourownorotherspersonalexperiences(includingthoseofthefiveauthors
inthismodule),hypotheticalsituations,andreflectionstomakeyourcase.
Forexample:Dowefaceissuesregardingminoritylives,womensrights,black
malesinsociety,transgenderindividuals,orfatshaming?Whatevertopicyou
whichtoexplore,writetheissuehere__________________________________
andfollowtheseguidelineswhencreatingandpresentingyourworktotheclass:

1. Yourassignmentistoinformtheaudienceaboutanissueofyourchoicefor23
minutesandthenofferaremedy.Thisinformativespeechaddressesacurrent
issueaboutwhichyouhaveapassion.Anexperienceyouhavehadfromwhich
othersmaybenefit.Neworexistinginformationonatopicyoubelievetobe
importantfortheaudiencetoknowmayhelp.Informativespeechesareoften
giventomisinformedorconfusedaudiencestoclarifyinformation.
2. CompletethisOutlinebelowanduseittocraftyourspeechthatwillbewrittenon
notebookpaper.
Youmayreadfromyourpaperduringyourspeech
.

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TITLE

GENERALPURPOSE

SPECIFICPURPOSE

THESIS/MAINIDEA

INTRODUCTION

BODY
Summaryofyourissue.

Whyisitanissue?

Whodoesitaffect?Howdoesitaffectthem?

Whyshouldwechangetheissue?

Howcanwechangethisissue?

CONCLUSION

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