Feedback for critical analysis essay on "A Fable For Tomorrow"

1. “A Fable for Tomorrow” What you could have said

2. The Title It’s a “fable” Fairy tale Sets you up for revelation that it’s not true (not a big pull the rug out at the end) Has a moral Note the opening: “There was once…” like “once upon a time”

3. Images: Positive “checkerboard” farms Lush growth Variety of bird and animal life All seasons are abundant and beautiful

4. Images: Negative Strange blight Mysterious maladies Unexpected deaths (woo woowoo – it’s the Twilight zone!)

5. About the Contrast Heaven/Hell or Peace/War Note that “clouds” of blossom becomes sinister white cloud of powder “shady” pools of trout becomes “shadow of death” (and this is Biblical ref) Blaze of colour in fall become brown and withered as though “swept by fire” Also reference to Keats, “and no birds sang”

6. Which brings us to her audience Farmers Rural Not necessarily super well educated, but superstitious and religious

7. What are their values? Money, yes, but Health “American” pastoral ideal Family And she plays to all of those – even money; note that cash animals also die, and no pollination means no crops

8. Rhetorical Appeal: Ethos Carson’s own credibility Appeal to core “Americana” values

9. Rhetorical Appeal: Pathos Well, yeah… it’s pretty obvious. (and this is one place where maybe you could attack her for overdoing it. Maybe)

10. Is it Successful? Well, that’s up to you, but you need to put it in context. They hadn’t “heard it all before” in 1962.