America Needs Its Nerd Essay
Stephan Keokhamphiuo
Mrs. Walker
English 10th Honors
7, May 2014
“America Needs It Nerds”
People around the world need to open there eyes to what intellectual individuals can do for the world rather than only idolizing the celebrity’s and athletics. “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman talks about how in our society that we idolize celebrity’s and athletics more than intellectual people. Friedman effectively persuades an audience of intellectuals to value their academic prowess with a logical definition of "Geek," comparisons that highlight the extent of the issue, and rhetorical questions that encourage actions.
In the beginning of his essay, Friedman defines “geek” to catch the reader’s attention and offend them, so that they will take action. He cites the Webster’s New World Dictionary defining “geek” as a street performer who shocks the public by biting off the heads of live chickens.” The archaic term was used derogatorily about geeks. Today, intellectuals would be offended by this definition, and it would ultimately catch their attention. He intends that intellectuals, when learning this fact, will become offended, read the article, and then take action to resolve the injustice.
Halfway through his essay, he compares the United States with East Asia and the intellectuals at Harvard to athletes in order to show the dire need to take a stand. He compares to the intellectuals that live in the United States and the intellectuals that live Asia. who ironically do not feel comfortable expressing their own intellectual self’s to the world because the chance of embarrassment. In the last sentence in the third paragraph “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized.” this quote is explicitly trying to inform the reader that intellectual individuals should be more idolize as well as any other athlete or celebrity. At the end of his essays, he uses a rhetorical question to get the reader to think about how intellectualism should be valued and what they
Mrs. Walker
English 10th Honors
7, May 2014
“America Needs It Nerds”
People around the world need to open there eyes to what intellectual individuals can do for the world rather than only idolizing the celebrity’s and athletics. “America Needs Its Nerds” by Leonid Fridman talks about how in our society that we idolize celebrity’s and athletics more than intellectual people. Friedman effectively persuades an audience of intellectuals to value their academic prowess with a logical definition of "Geek," comparisons that highlight the extent of the issue, and rhetorical questions that encourage actions.
In the beginning of his essay, Friedman defines “geek” to catch the reader’s attention and offend them, so that they will take action. He cites the Webster’s New World Dictionary defining “geek” as a street performer who shocks the public by biting off the heads of live chickens.” The archaic term was used derogatorily about geeks. Today, intellectuals would be offended by this definition, and it would ultimately catch their attention. He intends that intellectuals, when learning this fact, will become offended, read the article, and then take action to resolve the injustice.
Halfway through his essay, he compares the United States with East Asia and the intellectuals at Harvard to athletes in order to show the dire need to take a stand. He compares to the intellectuals that live in the United States and the intellectuals that live Asia. who ironically do not feel comfortable expressing their own intellectual self’s to the world because the chance of embarrassment. In the last sentence in the third paragraph “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized.” this quote is explicitly trying to inform the reader that intellectual individuals should be more idolize as well as any other athlete or celebrity. At the end of his essays, he uses a rhetorical question to get the reader to think about how intellectualism should be valued and what they