Analysis

This analysis of an excerpt from the essay “The Pioneers: Fifty Years of Caribbean Migration to Britain” by Caryl Phillips is based on the rhetorical pentagram model.

In what follows, we will explore the topics of the text - multiculturalism and discrimination - looking at how the writer discusses them in relation to the Caribbean migration to Britain.

We will present the writer of the text, Caryl Phillips, focusing on what the essay conveys about him, but also on his background as a migrant from the West Indies.

We will assess the potential readers of the essay, looking at the categories of people the writer mentions (migrants from India and the Caribbean, the British people) and where the essay was published (Great Britain).

We will examine the language of the text, outlining the choice of words and the writer’s tone, as well as the most important rhetorical devices and forms of appeal.

We will present the circumstances of the text, considering the socio-political context of the late 1990s in the United Kingdom.

We will discuss the speaker’s main intention of informing and persuading readers that multiculturalism is beneficial for society and how he achieves this intention. 

You can read the full analysis on the next pages!