Topic > Analysis of Anti-Intellectualism in American Society by Leonid Fridman

In today's society being educated or knowledgeable is often criticized, this action causes intelligent people to be humiliated for their special gift. Many of us have seen books, television series, or movies that showed a wise boy terrified of his brilliance, while athletes and pretty girls were praised for being popular. These dramas showed the unfavorable view of being gifted. Even though there are numerous people who consider it unacceptable to target wise people, a bare minimum of people have spoken out. However, the author and editor (Leonid Fridman) has a sustainable amount of information to express. Leonid Fridman, in his essay, illustrates the need for society to completely put an end to the anti-intellectualism that occurs in America. Fridman's critical essay uses modes of comparison, antithesis, modes of definition, and colloquialism to highlight how society views education in a negative aspect. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the second paragraph, Fridman applies the definition mode, while showing his thoughts towards the negative connotation of the word “geek”. “A geek, according to Webster's New World Dictionary, is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off the heads of live chickens” (2). The author implies that society has changed a practical word, turning it into something unfavorable. The rationale behind using the definitional mode was to recognize that humanity denounces intellectuals and associates them with the “mentally disabled.” This rhetorical mode helped the author achieve his goal by explaining that Americans changed the word "geek" only to harass their more intelligent counterparts. The author chose this rhetorical mode for the audience, so that the audience can outline the sacrilegious behavior that society adopts when it comes to their education. Likewise, the author provides the audience with a well-known dictionary source "Webster's New World Dictionary", which allows the audience to point out that even credible dictionaries define intelligent humans poorly. In addition to the definition method used in the second paragraph, colloquial language was also used in this paragraph. The author writes: "a monster biting the head off a live chicken" (2). The meaning of this quote was to criticize Americans for turning the word “geek” into a negative content, all while mistreating intelligent human beings. Colloquialism strengthened the writer's essay by informally comparing an intelligent person to a monster that bites chickens' heads. Fridman chose this rhetorical device for the audience to support the negative content of "geek". In short, Fridman uses the definition and colloquialism to highlight the disturbing correlation between intellectuals and “freaks.” As the text progresses, Leonid Fridman uses antithesis to distinguish the different treatments one may receive based on one's social status. “Nerds are ostracized while athletes are idolized” (3). The function of the antithesis was to contradict the fact that “nerds” and “geeks” are oppressed, while athletes are glorified due to their popularity and ability. This is unfair treatment considering the fact that both parties work extremely hard to complete their goals, rather than win a game or get a fantastic grade on their essay. So why should academics be considered peculiar, while athleticism is considered sensational? This is a question that the.