The most striking thing about this article when the reader first skims it is the overtly authoritative tone that the writer chooses to take. This is the main base that they have chosen to build their credibility upon. The author begins or ends each sentence with either a "do" or "don't," rather than a "should" or "shouldn't." Even the title, "How and What to tell a Communist," takes this quality of speech. The entirety of the piece leaves no room for doubt, judgement, or any other type of subjection by the reader. It assumes that these readers are, as with the Scott Tissue ad, patriotic Americans blinded by their fear of communism. Therefore, taking full advantage of knowing their audience the writer feels they have to do little other than make it sound like they know what they are talking about to establish ethos in their argument.
Also the corporation supporting these statements, The Timken Roller Bearings Company, adds a certain air of false authority to the argument. This also has much the same effect of the Scott brand has in the other advertisement. The Timken Company was founded in 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri. That company is just about as All-American as it gets, so it very much reinforces the overtly blatantly anti-communism claims made in the article.
I certainly agree with your analysis of the title of the article. The title leaves no ambiguity of the tone of the text. One question I did have about your analysis was why does the Timken Roller Bearings Company add a "false" air of authority?
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the article, I also found it to be very authoritative and direct. Reading it today doesn't have the same impact that it would back when it was originally written so it doesn't carry the same impact with me. The piece was still powerfully written and didn't sway from the original point. I wonder what article could be written today that would have the same impact as this one did in the 60's.
ReplyDelete-Artur, sorry about that. I should have been more specific in my analysis. I meant that Timken is a company that merely manufactures roller bearings. What actual authority does that give this corporation in informing the public about the Bolshevik revolution? I hope that clears that up.
ReplyDelete-Spencer, I agree that as a contemporary reader of this article, you can't help but view it incredulously. Its modern counterpart, I feel, would definitely be anti-terrorist/anti-Muslim propaganda (more so in the years after 9/11).
-Danielle