Analysis Of Nonfictional Text Essay Research Paper

The non-fictional news story Face-Off on the Rio Grande , written by an unknown author, is being argumentative-descriptive reflecting the problems of immigration people have to face at the Mexican-American boarders. Beginning with the headline Face-OFF on the Rio Grande , the text is well structured. Here, the author does not only arouse the reader s curiosity but also demonstrates the tension that reigns the city of El Paso and its border. After summarizing the main facts of his story in a subtitle, the author introduces the article with a general statement, drawing the reader s attention on the dilemma of inequality, concerning the extreme economic wealth, that differentiates the USA from Mexico. He also leads to the location of his report the city of El Paso, New Mexico. Starting off in line 6, he goes over to characterize the Mexicans, that try to cross the boarder illegally and from line 13 on, the story-like element or rather the descriptive writing dominates his argumentation. After demonstrating the easiness of the immigrants to cross the boarder, an interview with a Border Patrol agent leads to the hardships the aliens have to face and consequently – especially in the closing statement – reflects the concerns of humanity that relate to the chase of people in connection to their individual freedom and needs. Taking a closer look at the kind of structure the author employs, it becomes quiet visible, that the paragraphs are being connected through a linear argumentation. Therefore, he uses empiric examples or personal experiences to legitimate his, or other s statements he cited. Through all this example-backup, the story becomes interesting, lively and in effect is more convincing than stating pure facts in disorder. Those references to authorities in form of quotations, the empiric evidence, the examples, the factual background etc. are being employed to illustrate the emotional aspects of these people that try to cross the American boarder illegally in order to find a better life. The tone hereby is quiet personal but also serious. On the one hand it seems very emotional and on the other hand the text is partly factual. With a hypotactic sentence structure, the story is able to convince details of the author s thoughts are being expressable. However, the text is easy understandable and carries the character of an entertainment-newsmagazine such as TIME or US-NEWS. Complicating or long-winding sentences are not in use at all. To support the excitement of his description, the author utilizes lots of descriptive adverbs, such as: raggedly dressed or stood silently , and adjectives, such as: cold or bright . Another description-supporting element he makes use of, is the informal- as well as the jargon, or simple register. The last ones, the author employs to quote the Spanish and to imitate their accents. A second important function of the often used quotes becomes obvious if one looks at the last 3 lines of the news-story. Here, the author gets his message across with the use of the personal pronoun you . As a consequence, he involves the audience, makes his point and becomes more trustworthy and convincing. His generally educated-, or at least common-people recipients, thus are going to feel sympathy for the illegal borderers and thereby fulfil one of the authors intentions he tries to make the readers consider the ethic viewpoints of humanity and basic rights everybody owns. Concerning the situation of illegal immigration, he intends to criticise a one sided view on aliens and indirectly requests more tolerance and understanding towards them. On the other hand, concerning his direct attitudes, he stays objective and remains neutral.