On The Want Of Money Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis of “On the Want of Money” by William Hazlitt In this current day and age, the ideology that money creates stress and unhappiness is commonly preached. Despite what is said today, in the 19th century, William Hazlitt writes the complete and utter opposite in his essay “On the Want of Money” where he writes money is not the root of all evil but an imperative aspect to a content life. To substantiate his beliefs, he uses several rhetorical strategies and examples to develop his position on money. Hazlitt’s entire essay is brimming with rhetorical strategies. Simply to present the paragraph he demonstrates satire by making fun of other’s inclination towards money and anaphora promptly, “Literally and truly, one cannot get on well in the world without money. To be in want of it… ;is to live out of the world,(1-4). The use of immediate rhetorical strategies gives a sense the author is educated and thus credible in a literary standpoint. Not only does his swift use of strategies portray his intelligence, but his use of diction and advanced vocabulary do as well. For example,”...of chagrin and disappointment in after-life...to grow crabbed, morose, and querulous”(35-36 and 43-44). Because the author is so nonchalant while using such strenuous vocabulary, it conveys literary intellect, thus ethical appeal.
Instead of an essay structured traditionally or the more accepted way,(several paragraphs consisting of several full sentences) Hazlitt utilizes semicolons to create a single and what it seems “never ending” paragraph. For instance,”...and neglected by friends”(10-11) and “...crowd around your coffin”(48) partake in the same sentence yet there is over 30 lines dividing the two phrases. Since the text portrays the illusion of “never ending” the reader feels a sense of thrill and dramatization which stirs pathos in the