Technopoly Neil Postman Analysis

The author uses different rhetoric devices to outline what the society losses than what it does gain from the technology in the western culture (Postman, 4). The essay contains different rhetoric devices which include pathos, logos, ethos, syllogism, and other persuasive tools to ensure that the audience is more convinced to believe what the writer wants them to understand. Therefore, it will be important to make analysis of how the author uses the rhetoric devices to convince the audience that technology has had a negative impact on the western culture. The first rhetoric device that is used by the author is appeal to ethos which sees the author try to convince the audience about past experiences of the Egyptian civilization in writing. The author talks about how writing in Egypt has decreased the amount of wisdom and knowledge in the western culture (Postman, 3).

This is emotional appeal to the audience as the author insinuates that technology does bring anxiety and creates a rift in families because a person has to travel long distances from home far from his family. The writer also does instill fear in the audience when he talks about the fact that writing will erode memory and wisdom a virtue that is privileged by people especially conservatives. This is evident especially when the author says “he fears that memory will be confused”. This means that technology will introduce new system and words in the old memories as people will soon forget about the past experiences and emulate new ways of doing things. The author also makes the audience to sympathize with the people who do not have accessibility to technology especially when they fall prey of the technology powers accumulated by the people with privilege in advanced technology mechanisms.

The author also uses metaphors to bring out the shortcomings of modern technology to the current 21st western culture. The author uses “turn of the century blacksmith” that is affected by the innovation of the automobile technology but continues to sing the praise of the same technology being optimistic that he will benefit from the same (Postman, 14). The use of these metaphor brings out the fact that although technology might have affected people in a negative manner in the society, it is important to be optimistic of the same. The essay also uses arguments to bring out the fact that technology has affected the western culture and society negatively. The author also uses an example of computer technology and how it has affected the society in both negative and positive manner.

The audience expected the author to say that technology is good but the fact that he insisted that the technology is strange and odd means that the audience did not expect the author to say the same. Another irony in the text comes when the author starts by outlining and criticizing Thamus who argued that technology was bringing advantage to the community and that Thamus was wrong in his interpretation of advances in technology. One expects the author to continue in that line but soon turns attention to addressing the challenges that the society faces in both short and long term basis. Therefore, the use of the use of irony brings the attention of the audience as they try to connect the logic between advantages and disadvantages of technology to the society.

In conclusion, the author uses different rhetorical techniques to attract the attention of the audience and make them understand the fact that technology is not just positive to the western culture but also has some disadvantages to be considered.