There Are Differences

Taking advantage of the derogatory terms “nerd and geek” Leonid Fridman informs society that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The nerds, or less derogatory term, intellectuals are being looked passed; they are not being seen for how important they, whereas athletes, such as basketball and football players, are put on pedestals. Fridman masters diction, rhetorical strategies, and syntax in “America Needs Its Nerds” to exemplify this point he is trying to get across. Through “America Needs its Nerds” Fridman explains how crucial it is for the anti-intellectual attitude to change; the societies point of view needs to improve. Beginning with the definition of geek, Fridman portrays his thoughts on how the society is wrong when it comes to the comparison of Webster’s New World Dictionary definition, which is labeled as a “freak” and a “geek” who is just a person who is intellectually in the strong-suit. The diction the author takes advantage of is the derogatory terms that are used to replace the societies “intellectually curious and academically serious.” Nerds and geeks, the man and women that design our society, that make a difference in it, are “ostracized” because they “prefer to read books rather than play football.”Fridman implies that social standing anywhere competes with intealligence and it is causing academically excelling students to be ashamed of their brilliance. In America the word “prestigious” is thrown around. Fridman points out that in parts of the world, being a university professor is prestigious, but in America, most ballplayers hold better salaries and respect then Harvard teachers. The exaggerations express how Fridman believes that the mistreatment of smart men and women needs to end.
Expressing the fact that the mistreatment of intellectual people needs to stop, especially when it comes to the use of derogatory names, Fridman takes advantage of rhetorical questioning. The questions asked have no expected answer; the questions serve