Statistics and authoritative quotes are generally used to support the opinion of the author; these two articles are no exception. A report made up entirely of facts and statistics will appear to a reader as unimaginative and boring. Therefore, use of statistics must be kept to a minimum to avoid making the article appear too dull. Authoritative quotes can also be used to support a case in much the same way as statistics. The Retail article uses many examples of statistics, for example ‘a peak of 107% disposable income’, and quotes from interviews with people who are involved in the matter. For example, David Shone is a founder of a jewellers, gave facts and statistics in his interview. The Darkness article does not use quotations at all, but relies more on statistics to reinforce his views.
The Darkness article is not the same as The Retail article in that the Retail article is an investigative one, using rhetorical devices to find an answer to a question, rather than asserting the author’s opinions confidently. Pre-empting the argument is very useful in this particular form, as it helps to remove doubt from the article. The Darkness article is very confident in its reliability despite being opinion orientated. Pre-empting the argument shows that the case has been well thought-over and considered, and so makes the article seem more persuasive. Thus ‘it is open to an alternative, altogether darker explanation’ and ‘something more profound will be the big issue of 2002’ are both examples of pre-empting the argument in the Darkness article. These two examples both from the Darkness article seem to have a pessimistic approach to the issue.
Personal anecdotes and humour are used a lot in the Retail article as it helps create an easy atmosphere and makes the article friendlier. The Darkness article does not use any humour. This may be because it is very opinion-based and negative. The article tries to convey a sense of urgency and pessimism in its message, thereby trying to attract readers by making the issue seem more drastic and serious, for example the phrase ‘altogether darker explanation’. The Retail article attempts to attract readers using a friendly, relaxed stance in its writing - for example, ‘were dancing out of the shops’ and ‘enjoying a brief respite from a morning of hand-to-hand combat with the debit card’. This proves how differently both authors decide to view the situation. Personal anecdotes are seldom used in the Retail article and are not used at all in the Darkness article, despite the article being opinion-orientated. The article itself does not refer to any one place and so limits the choice of rhetorical devices it can use.
Tri-colon is the use of three different things that all relate to each other and are written in a row. It is generally accepted that three facts, three examples etc. have a psychological impact on humans. Humans generally take more notice and absorb information that is written in threes. Thus ‘call it two FA cup final crowds, one-and-a-half times the British Army, more than half the people in Iceland’ from the Retail article. Using tri-colon can help emphasise a point. Repetition is a classic form of emphasis that is extensively used in these two articles and in countless others. Usual uses of repetition include ‘goes on and on’ and ‘much, much worse’. In these articles repetition is generally coupled with alliteration. This adds to the emphasis to highlight points that the author wants to communicate to the reader.
Alliteration is used a lot in both of these articles. Sibilance is the same as alliteration except using ‘s’ as the alliterative sound. Thus ‘savings is storing’ and ‘fastest pace in thirteen years’, both in the Darkness article. The Darkness article principally uses sibilance as a form of alliteration and emphasis, including the title itself. The sibilant phrase ‘Darkness at the heart of consumer spending spree’. This will emphasise the title and attract more people to read this article. Alliteration as a whole is generally used in both articles, as it helps emphasise a point in much the same way as repetition.
In conclusion, both of the articles use rhetorical devices. Each article approaches the same issue and reviews it with a different attitude. The Darkness article takes a more pessimistic, serious stance, whilst the Retail article views the subject in a relaxed, optimistic approach. Both articles use language in interesting and imaginative ways to great effect. Emotive language is used very effectively in both of the articles in very different ways. I believe that the Retail article is more persuasive than the Darkness article as it takes a more relaxed, realistic view of a not so significant issue. The Darkness article treats the same issue far more seriously than need be. Personally, I generally do not sympathise with the stance taken in the Darkness article. Although it does have a more dynamic, eye-catching title that will attract more readers.
