Danger of a single stroy Flashcards
P1
The writer/speaker establishes her credentials as a storyteller in the short opening sentence of the speech, immediately capturing the attention of the audience.
The use of the second-person pronoun ‘you’ in the second sentence involves the audience and sets the tone for the speech’s theme.
The unexpected use of the noun ‘danger’ in the phrase ‘the danger of the single story’ intrigues the reader, prompting them to delve deeper into the writer’s thoughts and opinions.
Throughout the speech, the writer uses memories from her childhood and anecdotes from her later life to illustrate her ideas about storytelling.
She adopts a humorous and self-deprecating tone at times, such as when referring to the stories she wrote as a child that her “poor mother was obligated to read.”
The writer also employs juxtaposed and antithetical lists of images to convey the differences between the characters in the stories she read and the life she lived.
The parallel structures of the sentences serve to further emphasize the contrast, creating a vivid imagery for the audience.
P2
Emotive adjectives like ‘impressionable’ and ‘vulnerable’ are used by the writer to convey how easily influenced a reader may be by a story.
The use of the first-person plural pronoun ‘we’ creates a connection between the audience and the writer/speaker, making the message more relatable.
The writer carefully avoids criticizing American and British books that she loved, ensuring that her opinions do not alienate any part of the audience.
She uses ethos by relating an anecdote of Fide to show that she is not exempt from making false judgments, adding credibility to her message.
The structure of the speech is also noteworthy.
The use of a colon in line 27 draws attention to the main clause that follows and emphasizes what the discovery of African books meant to the writer.
The verb ‘saved’ links to the earlier mention of ‘danger,’ further highlighting the seriousness of the writer’s message.
Time markers are used to show how it has taken years for the writer to learn and refine her thoughts and opinions, adding depth and complexity to her arguments.
p3
Towards the end of the speech, the tone becomes more positive, with consecutive short repetitive sentences such as ‘Stories matter. Many stories matter.’ emphasizing the importance of stories.
The writer uses parallel construction to highlight the negative impacts of stories, such as being used to dispossess and malign, followed by their antitheses - being used to empower and humanize.
The use of ethos is reinforced through an anecdote about renowned author Alice Walker.
The speech as a whole is an accumulation of thoughts and arguments supported by personal anecdotes and appeals to ethos and pathos, building to a powerful climax.
In the final single sentence paragraph, the writer offers words of wisdom and advice to the audience to reject the single story.
The use of the first-person plural pronoun creates a strong link between the audience and the speaker, reinforcing the connection.
The metaphor within the concluding phrase, ‘regain a kind of paradise,’ provides an image of innocence and purity, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
