love-is-a-fallacy(英语修辞与写作-lecture-6-1)

LoveIsaFallacyByMaxShulmanAbouttheauthorMaxShulman(1919-1988):oneofAmerica’sbest-knownhumorists.Maxisawriterofmanytalents---hehaswrittennovels,stories,Broadwayplays,moviescenarios,andtelevisionscripts.ThepresenttextistakenfromTheManyLovesofDobieGills(1951).DobieGills,thenarrator,isatypicalAmericanteenwhofrequentlysuffersfromromanticangst.Thecharacterappearedonapopulartelevionsitcomduringthe1950sandwasinafeaturefilmin1953.AboutthestoryThenarratorofthestoryisDobieGills,afreshmaninalawschoolwhoisproudofhislogicreasoningandgeneralintellectualcapability.DobieGillsgrappleswithPeteyBellows,whosegirlfriendhehopesthathecanpersuadetogiveupandPollyEspy,Petey’sgirlfriendheintendstomarryafterhehasimprovesher.Heisquitesureofhisfinalsuccessbecauseheissmarteranditisonlylogicalthatthegirlwillchoosehim.However,theresultisagreatsurprisetohimbecausethegirlturnsdownhisproposalandchoosePeteyBurch,allbecauseofwhatDobieGillsregardsasa“sillyreason”,thusprovingthat“Loveisafallacy”.WritingStyleMaxShulmanhasagoodstyle.ThestorygoesforwardatafastpacewithracydialoguesfullofAmericancolloquialismandslang.Heemploysawholevarietyofwritingtechniquestomakehisstoryvivid.HeuseultralearnedtermstorevealtheconceitofthenarratorandclippedvulgarformstoillustratePollyEspy’slimitedintellectualcapability.Healsousefigurativelanguageprofuselyandinversionforemphasis.Thespeedofthenarrationismaintainedbytheuseofshortsentences,ellipticalsentencesanddashesthroughoutthestory.Thecombinationofallthesehelptomakethestoryrealistic,asonewouldexpectafreshmantotalklikethat.Rhetoricaldevicesinthestory1.Inversion(CoolwasIandlogical.//Beautifulshewas.Graciousshewas.Intelligentshewasnot.)2.Metaphor(Mybrain,thatprecisioninstrument,slippedintohighgear.)3.Rhetoricalquestion(What’sPollytome,ormetoPolly?)4.Simile(Mybrainwasaspowerfulasadynamo,aspreciseasachemist’sscale,aspenetratingasscalpel.)5.Hyperbole(Itisnotoftenthatonesoyounghassuchagiantintellect.)6.Ellipsis(Sameage,samebackground,butdumbasanox.)Rhetoricaldevicesinthestory7.Metonymy(Shewas,tobesure,agirlwhoexcitedtheemotions.ButIwasnotonetoletmyheartrulemyhead.)8.Antithesis(Itis,afterall,easiertomakeabeautifuldumbgirlsmartthantomakeanuglysmartgirlbeautiful.)9.Analogy(Itwaslikediggingatunnel.Atfirst,everythingwaswork,sweat,anddarkness.…ButIpersisted.Ipoundedandclawedandscraped,andfinallyIwasrewarded.Isawachinkoflight.Andthenthechinkgotbiggerandthesuncamepouringinandallwasbright.)10.Understatement(ItmustnotbethoughtthatIwaswithoutloveforthisgirl.)LogicalfallaciesinthestoryDictoSimpliciterHastygeneralizationPosthocContradictorypremisesAdMisericordiam(Appealtopity)FalseanalogyHypothesiscontrarytofactPoisoningthewell(AdHominem)ExerciseAnalyzethelogicfallacyineachofthefollowingstatements1.Iaskedsixofmyfriendswhattheythoughtofthenewspendingrestraintsandtheyagreeditisagoodidea.Thenewrestraintsarethereforegenerallypopular.2.ImmigrationtoAlbertafromOntarioincreased.Soonafter,thewelfarerollsincreased.Therefore,theincreasedimmigrationcausedtheincreasedwelfarerolls.3.IfIhadstudiedharder,Iwoulddefinitelyhavepassedthattest.4.Watchingtelevisionisawasteoftime.5.Wehopeyou’llacceptourrecommendations.Wespentthelastthreemonthsworkingextratimeonit.Analyzethelogicfallacyineachofthefollowingstatements6.Religionobviouslyweakensthepoliticalstrengthofacountry.Afterall,RomefellaftertheintroductionofChristianity.7.WeshoulddiscountwhatPremierKleinsaysabouttaxationbecausehewon’tbehurtbytheincrease.8.Asocietyisfreeifandonlyiflibertyismaximizedandpeoplearerequiredtotakeresponsibilityfortheiractions.9.YousayIshouldn’tdrink,butyouhaven’tbeensoberformorethanayear.10.Employeesarelikenails.Justasnailsmustbehitintheheadinordertomakethemwork,somustemployees.