Rhetoric Comparing and Contrasting

In Alan Dean Foster’s “Living with Fire,” he uses lots of imagery to get his point across. He writes sentences such as “the mountains were on fire,” “the fire essentially flipped over a team of firefighters,” and “the mass of orange-brown smoke had taken over the sky.” This type of short, descriptive sentence paints a picture of exactly what happened during these fires, without evoking too much emotion from the author. Foster also asks questions at the end of his essay to give the reader a more interactive feel, like we can relate to an event even if it has not happened to us personally. Not only does he tell a story, but he teaches a lesson which basically states that nothing is perfect in the world. Bad things happen no matter what, so there is no point in living in fear.

            “On Being a Cripple” is very different than “Living with Fire,” with a much different plot. Although at the same time, the authors share the same positive perspective on life, that things are what they are, and they can be dealt with. Nancy Mairs, the author of “On Being a Cripple,” does not beat around the bush. She prefers to be called what she sees herself as while having multiple sclerosis – a cripple – rather than using words such as “disabled” or “handicapped.” She believes that those two words have negative connotations to them, and she wants to remember that other than a few physical imperfections, she is the same as the next person. There are times throughout the essay where it seems that Mairs is attempting to capture sympathy from the reader, but then in following sentences, she reminds the reader that she is okay with being a cripple. A strategy that Mairs uses in her essay is the inclusion of many emotions. There is definitely some anger and frustration included, but there are also emotions and qualities such as appreciation (for the love of her family), strength, and acceptance of the fact that she is limited to less physical activities. She does not let MS stop her from living her life, which is an important lesson for all.