James Baldwin Assertion Analysis

    James Baldwin makes the assertion that American citizens should stop feeling guilty over oppression; that everyone should just move on and accept the fact that it happened. "Guilt is a luxury we can no longer afford". Oppression is just holding civilization from progressing and moving on from the guilty feelings associated with it will improve our nation as a whole. Guilt was placed onto the American men, not specifically any race, but just American men.
    To enforce and support his assertion James Baldwin uses metaphors and syntax. The main metaphor of his commentary is, "Guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford.". This portrays guilt as being a good thing that is getting way too expensive, so we need to look for an alternative. We, as a people, need to live without guilt that oppression and slavery has existed and just move on with our lives. Syntax is used because the first 2 sentences are very short compared to the third sentence. The second sentence provides the metaphor, while the third sentence explains the metaphor in its entirety.

Tupac Shakur Assertion Analysis

    In Tupac Shakur's commentary, he describes how the general public of America sees different struggles to persevere and survive as either negative or positive. He compares a broken rose getting praised as strong and unique for going against odds because it grew out of the cement, while a real life human being is viewed as a dirty criminal for growing out of the ghetto. Tupac asserts the statement that Americans' morals are messed up because they won't recognize another human being as strong for fighting through the odds.
    To get his statement across, Tupac used imagery, juxtaposition, and metaphor. By giving the description of a beaten up, worn rose growing through the sidewalk of a city, it allows for the easy understanding of what it would look like and how much it stands out within the dreary blandness that is the city. Tupac then  compares this broken rose with a child that grew up in the ghetto and how similar they are to each other; this was the metaphor.

Elie Wiesel Assertion Analysis

    Elies Wiesel is a survivor of the Holocaust, and he knows a thing or two about taking action in order to make change. He once told a speech to the public in America that asserted his views on how Americans are failing to make change in their own country.
    The Holocaust survivor's assertion in his text is that Americans mostly decide to be indifferent to many, many different causes. He describes love and hate being more similar than we think, the true opposite is indifference; not having any feelings at all towards anything. Another example is that life is not the opposite of death, it is indifference because not caring whether you are alive or dead is what makes you indifferent. Finally, America not joining World War II until Pearl Harbor is another example that may have influenced Wiesel's mindset due to the fact 6,000,000 Jewish could have been saved if America got involved in the War sooner.
    To achieve the assertion that Wiesel conveyed, he used syntax, anaphora, and diction. Syntax was used to compare seemingly opposite ideas, and then refute it by using the word "indifferent", which made the reader think about that word in that situation. Every sentence was structured like this, so that was his use of anaphora. Finally, his use of diction improved pathos with comparing words such as, love and hate, beauty and ugliness, faith and heresy, and life and death to leave an impression on the reader.
   

Bill Bryson Assertion Analysis

    America, home of the Star Spangled Banner and deep fried Girl Scout cookies. Ask almost anyone that grew up in America what they think when they hear the word "America". Some will say power, others will say freedom, but the truth evades nearly everyone. Bill Bryson is one of the few that have moved past the ignorance of " 'Murica " and realized how the big the United States of America's ego really is.
    Bill Bryson asserts that America is a place of "bigger is better" with examples of massive sporting events, a huge military, biggest portions, and even the most devastating nuclear arsenal on this planet.  He believes many Americans are taught these ideas from birth that America is the number one country on the planet due to the notion that "God likes us best". Bryson is saying that America is the most cocky and narcissistic nation on the planet due to the ideals many of the citizens are taught throughout their lives.
    He uses techniques such as syntax, diction, and most definitely satire. His use of syntax provides a sense of humor and lightheartedness throughout the text, such as when he puts the example of devastating nuclear arsenals next to peaceful, patriotic Americans. Diction was used to exaggerate the "power" of America, with words such as perfect, amplest, cheapest, devastating, and productive. Finally, his use of satire improves the tone of the text to not make it as dark as it would have been without it.