Argumentation

In this part, we will provide some points that can help you in a discussion about the argumentative features employed by Nick Laure in the text “Let’s Be Honest, Gun Control Opponents…

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Open or closed argumentation

Open (or direct) argumentation implies that the author or the text touches upon a theme directly, without the need for an intermediary. The author’s statements are clear and direct, which means that the readers do not need to figure out the meaning of the author’s words by themselves.

Closed (or indirect) argumentation implies that the author relies on subtleties and indirect statements when it comes to presenting his/her opinion. Most of the time, the author does not express his/her personal po…

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Rhetorical devices

Rhetorical devices are the techniques employed by the author of a text, which have the purpose of convincing and persuading the reader to consider the issue brought up in the text.

In Nick Laure’s text, rhetorical questions are very important rhetorical devices because they have the role of suggesting that gun control opponents are wrong:

Just admit it. Say it out loud. Your gun rights are more important to you than other people’s lives. Doesn’t honesty feel great? I understand that a little bit of selfishness is human nature. You probably don’t personally know any of the victims of mass shootings, and you think you’d be able to …