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Mark Twain's Short Essay 'Corn Pone Opinions'

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Mark Twain's Short Essay 'Corn Pone Opinions'
In the short essay “Corn-pone Opinions,” Mark Twain clarifies his position on self-approval and the adaptation to the “normal” standards and the trends of society. The author starts off the short essay by reminiscing back fifty years to his childhood where he first learned about conformity from a friend, which happened to be a black slave. On the contrary, the fact that Twain learned conformity from a slave already adds credibility to the short story because slaves were rejected in society. Conformity is the action of keeping up with social standards. Twain emphasizes that one’s opinions or attitude will vary depending on how or what society thinks or “Majority Rules”. In simpler words, nobody is unique because they tend to go for what society …show more content…
The writer’s choice of diction is smooth, therefore making it easier for the reader to comprehend. In the essay, the audience can see that Twain uses ethos, logos, and pathos. When it comes to emotional appeal in the essay, this was shown when he speaks of human kind begging for acceptance and also when he was listening to his slave friend tell sermons. In this quote, “He was a gay…for sole audience” (Twain 1), Twain showed affection for his friend whenever he would mention him. Logical appeal within the short story was used when he is talking about politics and morals. The authors stated certain facts throughout the essay to accurately help us understand that our judgment isn’t our own. Whereas, ethos is shown by the author telling personal stories in detail providing the story with its needed creditability. In addition to rhetoric devices and style strategies, the author also seems to try to keep the reader entertained by switching from first person to third person throughout the essay. He uses first person to display his opinions, well he uses third person in reference to society itself.
The short essay “Corn-Pone Opinions” is well-written. Twain used a diverse amount of literary elements and rhetoric devices. Instead of being like other writers, the writer makes the story comprehensible enough for the audience to understand. Mark Twain’s writing is calm and cool or more causal one could say. Twain focuses

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