On the Rhetorical Devices of an American Farmer Emma Wynne 11th Grade

J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur has been praised for defining the American way of life. In one of his works, Letters From an American Farmer, he attempts to answer the question “What is an American?” In an excerpt from that work, On the Situations, Feelings, and Pleasures of an American Farmer, he explains what it truly means to be a farmer in colonial America. Crevecoeur also contrasts the traditional American farmer’s life with the traditional European city life. Within the excerpt, Crevecoeur uses several rhetorical devices to support his idea that living a farmer’s life is much more rewarding than being a city dweller.

The main idea of the essay is that a farming life is superior to a city life, and the author tries to convince his audience of this fact by using personal experiences. He first describes the farm, house, and barn that he inherited from his father. Then, Crevecoeur explains how satisfying it is to live on land that has a sentimental family value, and to follow in his father’s footsteps. He also describes how it brings him joy to know his son will live in his footsteps, “I am now doing for [my son], I say, what my father formerly did for me” (Hector St.John de Crévecoeur, J.). By using this personal experience...