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2017 LA Club - Week 1

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lovelyperson:
This year, author Harper Lee unexpectedly released a sequel titled Go Set A Watchman to her famed novel Kill A Mockingbird. The Washington Post in turn has criticized the move as one based more on public demand, rather than the social activism which made the author respected and renowned in the first place. Charles however rejects this suggestion in his letter to the editor “The ‘tragedy’ of Harper Lee”; he argues that the author is still adored regardless and that the ‘tragedy’ which the Washington Post purports to be false.

Slack firstly argues that Harper Lee was and still is respected. Titling his piece “The ‘tragedy’ of Harper Lee”, Slack here seeks to associate the Washington Post’s claims with the tragedy genre, in particular its extreme element of death and dramatized nature. In doing so, the tabloid’s claims are portrayed as exaggerated, leading audiences to perceive them as therefore illogical and with low credibility. Slack’s use of a condescending tone as he says “let’s see” further reinforces this effect, as through such, he implies that the claims are clearly incorrect. Audiences are positioned to agree with this as his tone conveys a sense of authority and that he is knowledgeable enough to make an informed assessment. Having now doubted the credibility of the Washington Post’s suggestions, Slack then continues to further discredit them through highlighting how “beloved” Lee is. The intimate and deep affectionate connotations of this adjective attempts to have audience see Lee in a similar light, and in turn be opposed to what she has been accused of. This opposition is then built on by Slack as he illustrates how respected Lee is, in how she receives special treatment from Hollywood, who “instead of botching the job, sensitively translates [her] book into [a] movie”. The juxtaposition here of lackluster effort and ill attempt, as connoted through the “botch”, that is typical, and intricate detail and care conveyed through the adverb “sensitively”, highlights how differently Lee is treated from other people – positively in this case which in turn leads audiences to see her as a highly respected person. Seeing Lee with such status, they are positioned to see the Washington Post’s claim that suggests otherwise as undeniably incorrect.

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