Closed Reading #1

Does Avatar's Political Agenda Matter? by Andrew Price


Diction: This articles has a very informal and colloquial tone throughout, and starts especially so: Phrases like "first got rolling" and "pretty much agree" establish an easy, conversational relationship with the reader which makes the article seem personal and friendly. With transitions like "Oh, and..." and "sure, but..." Price makes the reader feel comfortable enough to consider his opinion. By referring directly to the reader as "you" and himself as "I" he deepens this dialogue-like feeling. By opening up himself with this casual tone, Price aims to open his readers up as well so they'll be more receptive to what he has to say. He also uses more negative words to describe the opinions of those on the opposite stance. David brook supplies "The first volley" while "John Podhoritz rails against the film." At one point he refers to the opposition as the "conservative assault."

Details: Writing an opinion paper, Price has great control over how he presents his sources and ideas. Most of the criticism he selects to show his opposition is harshly worded, and follows his quotations with ideas which refute or lessen the criticism's message. Read this paragraph:

"Some of the complaints are about the movie's plausibility. Podhoretz's piece harps on the ridiculousness of the 'fiber-optic cables coming out of their patooties' as if we weren't searching for 'unobtanium' on another planet that also somehow happened to evolve Earth-like trees and sentient bipeds. If he needs more fodder for columns, I'd point him to the entire genres of science fiction and fantasy."

Price deliberately includes this criticism of the film's realism, which isn't a point he had much to say on. He then soundly refutes the criticism by attributing the supposed flaws to the film's genre. By including this section which in itself doesn't provide strong evidence for his overall point, Price gets readers in the habit of seeing his opinion triumph those of others.


Language: Price makes use of many rhetorical devices throughout the article. Observe when he drives his main point home:

"But here's the real question: What are the stakes? I can't imagine the voter who would change his or her opinion about cap-and-trade legislation or the justification for the war in Afghanistan or the ethics of private security firms based on Avatar. Are any Roman Catholics going to switch to Gaia worship because Home Tree seems nicer than Giovanni Ribisi's headquarters"

Price asks rhetorical questions to get readers to consider answer these questions themselves AFTER he has already provided much evidence which would cause readers to answer them in accordance with his own ideas. His language is casual and easy throughout to get readers relaxed enough to come to these conclusions seemingly of their own accord.