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  • Essay / Analysis of The Clever Rhetoric of Montaigne's “On the Cannibals”

    “What saddens me is that, while correctly judging their misdeeds, we are so blind to our own” (235).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Montaigne's essay “On Cannibals” is a critique on how “civilized” man passes judgment too harsh on others while ignoring his own actions. This is particularly evident when he read accounts of the conquests in the New World. He expresses this idea through his presentation and use of evidence, his rhetoric, and the thoughtful structure of his essay. Known for his idiosyncratic examples and anecdotes, Montaigne also proves to be an adept rhetorician; in particular, he demonstrates an ability to anticipate his reader's preconceptions or resistance, and to circumvent these obstacles to persuasion. Montaigne always seems to place the correct evidence with the idea in question in order to shape the reader's mind towards his main idea. . His brother lives on the coast and faces a receding coastline; This fact is designed to fit Montaigne's idea that changing boundaries affect the way people interact and perceive themselves, but how valid is this example? “The inhabitants say that the sea has pushed against them so much for some time that they have lost four leagues of land. » This is not a concrete piece of evidence, but Montaigne knows when to use more subjective evidence to explain a topic and when to give factual information like the battle of the Spartans or Jacob's many wives in the Bible. However, this creates a sense of security with the facts and information given by Montaigne, so that all examples given conform to the standards of the most supported example. This proof being an example from the Bible, the rest of the proof is held with the same esteem. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. To make his idea seem as clear as he wanted it to be, you need to “join the journey.” This ride is sarcastic, skeptical and cynical through the human condition. The tone of his work sets the mood for how well it is received by the reader. “I fear our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, our curiosity more than we can bear. We grasp everything but grasp nothing but the wind” (229). Montaigne identifies with the group he criticizes in an attempt to involve the reader in the debate, assuming that readers of his work correspond to Western European culture. A pause in the text allows for a moment of reflection and impact that the reader will remember. Montaigne adds them to separate his main ideas and to add a bit of style, whether it is the editor's choice or not, the cuts are written in the original language in which they were intended. As this publication notes with a [B], many of these quotes were written before his death in a review of his essays. With the interruptions and frankness behind his work, a little comic relief helps keep the reader engaged. Montaigne's flippant nature can also detract from his main idea. The predominant idea is that Western culture is too judgmental of new and different cultures and cannot see the problems within its own society. He uses quotes from two natives brought back to Europe with whom he had spoken, but prefaces the information with some apologies for not remembering the three points made by the natives. This slightly discredits Montaigne as an accurate giver of information. Although the lack of solidarity of.