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Rhetorical Devices In 102 Minutes

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102 Minutes Essay
In 102 Minutes, the authors force the reader to absorb the significant toll that the events of 9-11 had on the families involved and people across America; also, Dwyer and Flynn seek to inform them of the errors in the design of the towers and decisions made by rescuers that preceded the catastrophic events that took place. The authors mention these facts and arguments to ensure the improvement of future architectural practices, prepare people for intense situations, and to personalize the tragedy that holds such an important place in our country’s history. Through various rhetorical strategies, the writers appeal emotionally and analytically to their audience.
The World Trade Center (WTC) held fairly high regard throughout New York as a structurally sound building, but the authors of 102 Minutes beg to differ on this opinion. They use various diagrams and statistics of the incredible impact and destruction the planes caused to the building, arguments against the poor architectural design and support of the towers, and periodic timestamps to make claims and factual statements about the events that occurred. The timestamps serve as a means of the authors building suspense in their audience, deepening uncertainty in the audience which intends to move them to read further and discover the office laborers’ fates. Moments like “At 9:19… we’re trapped… there’s smoke coming in. I don’t know what’s happening”(102 Minutes 186) and when Assistant Chief Callan“stood

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