Analysis

These elements will help you with the analysis of the extract from James Rebanks’ The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District. 

The rhetorical situation is that the text was written by James Rebanks as a preface to his autobiographical book, The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District. The sender, James Rebanks, was born in Matterdale, Cumbria, and is currently a sheep farmer. The book targets the English-speaking readership, but it also addresses tourists or people who might be interested in the history of the Lake District. The overall topic of small communities being marginalized or misunderstood is also relevant in countless other areas across the globe. 

The structure contains many personal anecdotes from Rebanks’ past. The author recalls a school assembly, which has become a central point in understanding the effect of the Lake District on both locals and visitors. The preface combines anecdotes with Rebanks’ opinions about deeper issues related to the Lake District. 

Rebanks mixes formal and informal language, which points to the seriousness of the topic but also makes, Rebanks’ experience easier to relate to. 

Rebanks also uses several rhetorical devices to support his ideas. For example, he uses metaphors to illustrate the effect of the teachers’ speeches, while personal anecdotes and humor make his experience more relatable.

When it comes to the forms of appeal, the preface is dominated by ethos and pathos. Rebanks uses his experience as a local of Cumbria to build ethos. By using pathos, Rebanks appeals to his readership’s feelings of empathy and frustration. 

You can read a full analysis of the extract from The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District in the following pages. 

Further help

Do you want additional help with analysis of non-fiction? See our general guide to non-fiction analysis.