The author satirizes the lack of preparation for unemployment among high school dropouts. This can be inferred from the joke made about how dropping out of high school leads to unemployment and the insufficiency of the school system in preparing them for this reality.
The writer highlights the mockery of the school systems by referencing a quote from Margaret Spellings, who suggests that easy grading encourages irresponsibility in students. This quote emphasizes how these skills can make individuals highly effective in avoiding obligations to landlords and bill collectors.
Additionally, the writer employs various rhetorical strategies to achieve satire in the text. These strategies are as follows:
1. Quotation: The writer uses a direct quote from Margaret Spellings to provide evidence and support the idea of easy grading leading to negative outcomes.
2. Irony: By presenting the idea that being “sloppy and late” in handing in homework is a skill desirable for future deadbeats, the writer employs irony to highlight the absurdity of such thinking.
3. Sarcasm: The use of phrases such as “makes future deadbeats very competitive” shows the writer’s sarcastic tone and reinforces the satirical nature of the text.The author employs various rhetorical strategies to emphasize their satire. These include the use of sarcasm, as seen in phrases such as “wardrobe typical of the non-working class” and “wash your hair with a bar of soap.” Moreover, the author appeals to ethos by quoting esteemed individuals within the education system, including Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and James Dunham, the Principal of HAS 445 in New York. Additionally, irony is prevalent throughout the text, evident in statements such as “students spend seven hours a day surrounded by adults who despise their low-paying jobs. If the critics out there know a better way to discourage a young person from entering the work force, I’d like to see it.”
The writer is advocating for a societal shift where schools prioritize student well-being and teach them about the advantages of being part of the working class and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is proposed that this change can be easily accomplished, although specific methods are not mentioned in the article. The mention of “Bush earmarks 1.5 billion gold stars for education” provides further support for this assertion.
In the text, the author highlights the inadequacy of American government funding for the country’s school system. They specifically mention outdated textbooks, schools in need of repair, and underpaid teachers. Additionally, the author satirizes a cultural observation or situation by employing various rhetorical strategies. Symbolism, such as the use of gold stars, is utilized to illustrate how insufficient funding is allocated and misdirected by the American government.
Ironically, the text highlights the dire condition of schools and emphasizes the need to motivate children to learn. The fundamental cultural observation being satirized is the lack of proper funding for the school system. The writer subtly suggests ways to address this issue through satire, such as updating textbooks and repairing school infrastructure. In my opinion, resolving this problem is relatively straightforward as long as competent individuals are in charge.
