Topic > Gerald Graff's use of persuasive devices as represented in his writings, hidden intellectualism

The rhetorician of this essay is Gerald Graff, and he is trustworthy because he is a professor of English and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to this, he was president of the Modern Language Association, the world's largest professional association of academic scholars and teachers. In the essay titled “Hidden Intellectualism,” I believe the likely audience Graff is addressing is the Board of Education and teachers at all grade levels. Graff uses rhetorical devices to argue that students' academic performance would increase if school authorities gave their students the benefit of the doubt to pursue their interests through the academic eye. In this way, Graff believes that students would gradually develop their writing and critical thinking skills regardless of whether or not they are book or street smart. His observation of educational institutions leads him to believe that school systems are missing the golden opportunity to tap into the fundamental intelligence of students so that learning is made easier and more engaging. I personally believe that this essay is kairos because it is an issue that requires immediate attention. The lack of interesting topics leads to lack of concentration during the lesson. Furthermore, students would be discouraged if they could not fully exercise their freedom to learn what they want through the forum that is best for them. Since students have no say in the decision-making process about what should be included in the curriculum, the approach teachers use to teach them only turns students away from wanting to further their education. However, this is what Graff's essay hopes, perhaps, to address. Hopefully, the school board will listen to student concerns and make changes as soon as possible. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayGraff uses pathos to distinguish those who are book smart from those who are street smart. He writes, “What a waste, we think, that someone who is so intelligent about so many things in life seems incapable of applying that intelligence to academic work.” (p. 264). The fact that he uses the phrase “What a waste” implies that people classify those who are intelligent as good-for-nothing human beings. The way the author phrases it makes it seem like street smarts are a disposable form of intelligence that aren't comparable to being book smart. Another way to look at this is to consider that a street-smart individual is perceived as lacking some qualities that a reading-smart individual possesses. It is also clear the difference that there is a divide between the two because a street smart individual cannot diversify his knowledge into other avenues related to academic work. Furthermore, the negative connotation that comes from this whole quote shows that since street smart does not match what society expects, being book smart is more acceptable than the other. I believe the author is able to get an effective reaction from the audience because it allows readers to ask themselves why the author would choose to call a certain type of intelligence a waste just because it does not conform to the intellectual identities that society expects.Graff it also highlights the fact that there are other times when being book-smart and street-smart can be a matter of peace and war. Start by separating yourself fromlower class community by which he is surrounded. To later admit that "....it was nice to be openly intelligent in a bookish way" (p. 266). Because of his status and upbringing, he has a reputation and pride to build. However, he has to be careful of his surroundings because he lives among sharks. He illustrated that “In the Chicago neighborhood where I grew up… it was necessary to maintain the boundary between the “decent” kids like [himself] and the working-class “hoods,” as [he and his middle-class counterparts] called them ” (p. 265-266). Graff purposely chose to incorporate this element into his essay to establish a distinction between his socioeconomic status as a middle-class heterosexual male, versus those affected by World War II. It describes growing up in a melting pot, which symbolizes a low-income geographic location dominated by a diverse group of people from different cultures, races, and ethnicities. Because of his middle-class status, not everyone in his community appreciates the fact that he benefits from middle-class privileges. For example, he lives in a gated community, where the crime rate is at a minimum and where his safety is highly guaranteed. However, he is constantly aware of his surroundings because he knows that the moment he steps out of his comfort zone, his safety is in danger. To reinforce his point through the use of pathos, he further explains the emotional cost of not being able to do so. exercise his intellectual abilities had on him. He got to the point where he was at a crossroads between demonstrating his intelligence or capitulating by behaving the way society wants him to behave. In those days, children considered geeks or nerds were seen as a threat to the extent that they were verbally abused, raped, and attacked. The concept of having someone else who is nerdier than those who aren't is unfathomable and leads to nothing but fighting for territory, dominance, self-respect, and dignity. It becomes something that the individual must earn. Another option for him was to "...be inarticulate, carefully hiding telltale signs of literacy such as correct grammar and pronunciation." (p. 266). For me, I believe it is the result of emotional exhaustion from not knowing how to handle the situation wisely. However, the only alternative he is good at is engaging in polemical “…discussions with friends about persistence and sports.” (p. 267). With this, he is able to refine his understanding of how to “…propose a generalization, restate and respond to a counterargument, and perform other intellectualizing operations.” (p. 267). His ability to code-switch and channel his intelligence into other avenues is what draws him to the academic world of literacy. Graff uses another rhetorical device called ethos, sharing his personal anecdote about how he went from being book smart to balancing it with his street smarts. Readers tend to trust him because he is a living testimony to what he preaches. Due to the fact that he lives in a community where “….it was necessary to maintain the boundary between “respectable” kids like [him] and the working class “capuchins”, as he [the middle class] called them....”, he stands out from all the other kids in town who are not of his race, which would make him a point of reference no matter where he walks or the route he takes (p. 266). While I must admit that it takes a man with a lot of courage to stick it out despite what life was throwing at him, he didn't let any of them distract him from pursuing his interest. He is also credible because he maintains his opinion. He believes that “Students need to read..