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Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Millennials Will Save Us All

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Millennials may be criticized, but they are a generation like no other. In the article “Why Millennials Will Save Us All,” Joel Stein asserts that millennials are a positive force of change. Stein’s intent is to convince his target audience, older generations who perceive millennials as “lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow” (28), that they misunderstand millennials. He boldly claims that “[millennials are] not a new species; they've just mutated to adapt to their environment” (31). Stein persuades his audience that millennials are most certainly a treasure trove of remarkable qualities. He accomplishes this by switching tones in the middle of the article, using humorous language, and establishing credibility through his mastery of logos. …show more content…

In the beginning, Stein employs harsh words, observing that “though [millennials are] cocky about their place in the world, [they] are also stunted” (29). This dismissive comment illustrates the condemning tone found in the first half of the article. Stein writes in a condescending manner that he knows his readers will relate to in order to enlarge his audience’s interest. By doing so, Stein assures that his readers are fully engaged for when he delivers his claim further into his article. Stein would not have appealed to his intended audience—those who think negatively about millennials— if he had started his article in a positive manner. In Stein’s opinion, his audience would not have read further into an article containing an introduction that they blatantly disagree with. With that sentiment in mind, Stein alternates his tone halfway through the article to surprise his readers with his true view on millennials, a view that is generous instead of dismissive. Stein changes his word choice by making positive remarks about how millennials are “earnest and optimistic… They are pragmatic idealists, tinkerers... life hackers" (31). Stein supports his claim by using this uplifting tone to convince his readers that they ought to view millennials in an optimistic manner. By using contrasting tones, Stein first agrees with his audience to …show more content…

In the first half of the article, Stein inserts disapproving evidence about millennial traits, pointing out how “58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982” (28). Stein provides these statistics to convince his target audience of his credibility by giving them evidence that peaks the interest of their judgemental views. After his tone shift, Stein reveals all of his equally valid data on the positive aspects of millennials. The audience discovers in the second half of the article that “nearly a quarter of DreamWorks' 2,200 employees are under 30, and the studio has a 96% retention rate” (32). This supports Stein’s claim by using logos to show millennials’ work ethic, one of their many redeeming qualities. Since the audience has already accepted Stein’s pessimistic evidence earlier in the article, they are willing to accept his positive evidence as well. In this way, Stein avoids assaulting his readers with evidence that supports his controversial claim by first easing his audience into his article with evidence they readily agree with. By the end of his article, Stein has integrated enough logos to convince his audience of the legitimacy of his claim while balancing out the informal sections of his

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