Part I: Rhetorical Analysis

Your last name 1 Name AP Language/Jackson Mini-AP Practice Test 24 April 2025 PART I: Rhetorical Analysis Erdrich 2018 Balancing Acts Excerpt Leonard Cohen writes, “ If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.” demonstrating how people view literature currently. In 2018, Louise Erdrich wrote about how she views independent book stores as the ash in the metaphor. She argues that people are less likely to buy books when life is good, but when things turn negative, poetry and literature burn brighter than democracy. Author Louise Erdrich uses and appeals to credibility and emotion when writing “Balancing Acts”. Her rhetoric promotes the use of bookstores instead of corporate monopolies for consumers and highlights the connections between literature and politics. Louise Edrich is a Native American and German writer whose books focus on Indigenous American culture. A major aspect of her writing is the use of metaphors and allusions when quoting other authors' works. In one quote, she states,” When democracy is not burning well, poetry burns harder. Literature becomes dangerous, independent bookstores are bonfires that light the mind.”. This paints the picture of independent bookstores being the fuel to the fire of literature. With this quote, Edrich is trying to make an emotional appeal to her audience using metaphorical language in an attempt to convince her audience that buying from independent bookstores is more beneficial to oneself instead of buying from companies like Amazon. Erdrich’s words create a juxtaposition between democracy and poetry how Your last name 2 one cannot survive without the downfall of the other. When people read books from bookstores, a bookstore's job is to “illuminate human truths”. The major difference between democracy and literature is that democracy is meant to allow freedom, but books bring true freedom. Erdrich talks about buying books from online sellers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target in comparison to independent booksellers. She states, “The loss leader is basically a fishing lure to obtain consumer information or to sell other stuff. Truly caring about books, choosing them thoughtfully, selling books to people who are hungry for books, is joy to me and other booksellers.” This quote demonstrates the differences between independent booksellers and major companies. She makes an ethical appeal in her writing reaching out directly to the audience and those who are “hungry for books”. Telling the reader that she truly cares about books and other independent booksellers. That she chooses them thoughtfully and cares for the books. With major companies, you are not just buying books but, prompted to buy other things. All companies want in her eyes is for their consumers to buy. In Erdrich's perspective, she wants her consumers to read. In Erdrich's vision, it is not merely the act of buying books that holds significance; rather, it is the act of reading itself that stands at the heart of her argument. She wants her consumers to engage fully with the texts they choose, to explore the depth of stories that independent bookstores offer. By framing the discussion around the value of literature and the role of bookstores in highlighting “human truths,” Erdrich calls for a more meaningful engagement with books. This approach encourages readers to consider where they buy their books and also the impact those choices have on their lives. Overall, creating a literary community that thrives beyond traditional commerce. PART II: Argumentation Compulsory Voting Your last name 3 Often, people don't vote in elections, due to many reasons: they don't support either candidate, they forgot, or simply do not want to. Not voting may be ok in some cases, but when voter turnout gets lower and lower over the years, the people being voted in may not be what the majority wants. Compulsory voting would be best for nations with low voter turnout, but those with a high number of voters should not need to comply with compulsory voting. During times of election, countries often divide between conservative and liberal voters, one group will always be underrepresented in those elections. If not everyone votes in a country, not everyone voices their opinion, the lower voter turnout is more likely that the candidate chosen is not the best option for the nation. Having more perspectives in the voting booth is beneficial to a nation. Different beliefs can lead to more diversity in leaders. Being able to vote is a wonderful privilege that some people do not have in the world. Living under a dictator and not being able to express your opinion is a major struggle. With compulsory voting, people would be able to vote in every nation, no matter what their circumstances are. Compulsory voting alleviates voter suppression, every group wants to be represented in a diverse country. In the United States, we don't have one hundred percent voter turnout, and groups who could not vote due to their circumstances may have felt underrepresented. Even in state governments, that feeling of not being seen within your country or state can discourage people from voting. Voters should always feel represented and should always vote, as it is their duty as citizens. Everyone wants to strive to make their country better, everyone wants to see the beauty of life without suppression, and everyone wants to feel represented, and these needs can be met with compulsory voting. There are some issues with compulsory voting, as some may argue that it takes away a person's freedom to decide to vote or not, and though this may be true, voting is not a system with the intent to hurt the voter, but instead to hear the voter. In the United States, the group with the highest population is white men; other groups in the United States may feel underrepresented with this Your last name 4 growing majority. While the majority gets bigger as the country gets bigger, the need for diverse voters is higher than ever. Some may feel it is infringing on their freedoms to “make” them vote, but having a more diverse number of voters is beneficial for the smaller groups in every nation. Just because a group is smaller does not mean they cannot have an impact. And that impact is highly important for presidential legitimacy. There are many different opinions on how people should vote, and if they should vote at all. But voting has no downsides, it only serves to benefit the voter. The people that citizens vote for work for their nation, not for themselves. Voting doesn't just help the individual voter, it helps their country. Voting is something people take for granted. With compulsory voting, everyone can have their opinion represented in an election. This decision would be best for countries with low voter turnout and unnecessary for those with high voter turnout.