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John Downe's Letter To The English Weaver Rhetorical Analysis

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During the nineteenth century, European families rushed to the United States seeking a better life for themselves and their families. John Downe, an English weaver, has done the same, however, he was forced to leave his family behind due to a lack of money to pay for the entire family to travel. In convincing his wife to immigrate to the United States, Downe incorporates vivid description, dramatic tone shifts, and strong juxtaposition into his method of persuasion.
The goal of Downe’s first paragraph is to give a vivid description of America and provide a sense of blissfulness. He begins his letter with strong anecdotal evidence creates a picture of how wonderful life truly is in America. The Englishman recounts how a farmer told him he was “welcome to come to his house at any time”. He describes how the selection of food the farmer had was “everything a person could wish”. This story conveys the feeling of warmth and compassion, and creates hope for a better future filled with happiness. Downe also creates a sense of bountifulness through his description. When he describes the food …show more content…

and life in England. He discusses how “no [American] thinks himself your superior, and how there is “no improper or disgusting equality”. Downe makes a clear point that he believes the United States is a much more equal and opportunistic environment. The writer goes on to describe what has become the American dream, that “this is a country where a man can stand as a man, and where he can enjoy the fruits of his own exertions, with rational liberty to its fullest extent”. He truly believes that the United States is the country of opportunity. Downe comments that “poverty is unknown here. You see no beggars”. In this last stitch effort to persuade his wife to immigrate, the writer is able to use the juxtaposition of these two countries visibly and concisely to make them appear to be polar

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