Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: What is Twain’s purpose in “Corn-Pone Opinions”?
Trace Twain’s use of the personal pronoun. What is the effect of changing from I to we?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Trace Twain’s use of the personal pronoun. What is the effect of changing from I to we?
Twain claims he got the idea of corn-pone opinions from a young slave with a talent for preaching. What does the anecdote add to his argument? Does it detract in any way? If so, how?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Twain claims he got the idea of corn-pone opinions from a young slave with a talent for preaching. What does the anecdote add to his argument? Does it detract in any way? If so, how?
How does Twain expand Jerry’s definition of corn-pone opinions? What is the effect of numbering the two items in which he begins to expand Jerry’s definition (para. 5)?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: How does Twain expand Jerry’s definition of corn-pone opinions? What is the effect of numbering the two items in which he begins to expand Jerry’s definition (para. 5)?
Identify Twain’s appeals to logos. Do the subjects of the appeals (hoopskirts, bloomers, wine glasses) strengthen the appeals or weaken them? Explain your response.
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Identify Twain’s appeals to logos. Do the subjects of the appeals (hoopskirts, bloomers, wine glasses) strengthen the appeals or weaken them? Explain your response.
Explain the irony of Twain’s qualification of Jerry’s statement about calculation and intention in paragraph 5.
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Explain the irony of Twain’s qualification of Jerry’s statement about calculation and intention in paragraph 5.
Why is paragraph 11 so long? Where, if anywhere, could Twain have broken it up? What is the effect of the series of subordinate clauses in the middle of the paragraph?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Why is paragraph 11 so long? Where, if anywhere, could Twain have broken it up? What is the effect of the series of subordinate clauses in the middle of the paragraph?
What is the effect of the parallelism in the two long sentences that make up paragraph 12?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: What is the effect of the parallelism in the two long sentences that make up paragraph 12?
What is the effect of capitalizing “Public Opinion” and “Voice of God” at the end of the essay?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: What is the effect of capitalizing “Public Opinion” and “Voice of God” at the end of the essay?
How does a phrase such as “helping to inhabit” in the first paragraph contribute to the tone of the essay?
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: How does a phrase such as “helping to inhabit” in the first paragraph contribute to the tone of the essay?
Find examples of understatement and hyperbole. Discuss their effects.
Chapter 11 - Corn-Pone Opinions - Questions on Rhetoric and Style: Find examples of understatement and hyperbole. Discuss their effects.