The Way It Should Be - Essay Example

The author uses different strategies to appeal to the sensibilities of the reader to levels that might not have been reached had the story been rendered in a casual and plain format. The choice of language, use of figures of speech, questions and anecdotes have been used effectively to add strength to the theme of the enduring human spirit, which runs through the short story. The author uses facts and figures to provide authenticity to his claims. For instance, the author situates the story within a specific time frame of the financial crisis in order to create the element of contrast between the bad things and the positive happenings.

Mallory’s positive actions are contrasted sharply with the difficult conditions caused by the economic crisis. In some sense, the author sets up the bad times as some kind of reflection against which, Mallory’s graceful qualities are to be seen. The matching of opposites is one of the most effective rhetoric strategies that help bring out the central themes of a story. In this story, the author mixes logical facts and convincing tactics in a manner that captures the different tastes of the readers.

There is a remarkable mixture of sense and sensationalism. The use of logical claims to support the rhetoric aspects of the story is evidenced by the various factual analyses, which contribute to the central theme. For instance, in illustrating Mallory’s love for the game the author gives factual information about the level of attachment that the sports girl had for base ball; “Mallory had a softball scholarship offer from Canisius, a Division I college in upstate New York, bust she chose Central Washington so she could play for Gary Frederick and so her parents could see her play,” (Lake 8).

The value of these factual details of Mallory’s attachment to the sport must be seen in light of the eventual sacrifice she later makes for an opponent. The merits of the facts are that Mallory lays aside her own ambitions in favour of engaging in an activity that whose value is to uplift a competitor whose performance has been rendered hopeless through an accident. Logically, her actions might seem irrational and absurd particularly within the context of the sporting competition. However, the author intends to make the case of her unyielding spirit of humanity even more pronounced.

The plot of the story is circular. In some sense the end of the story appears to be at the middle. The author expertly breaks up the story in bits and pieces so that it can only be understood when read in totality. The story line keeps going back and forth. For instance, the description of the game in which Mallory’s spirit of humanity became manifest is largely brought out in bits and pieces. The reader does not learn of how the main game ended until the very end of the story. However, Mallory’s heroism is celebrated much earlier even before the story provides details of about the conclusion of the main game.

Through the use of circular plot, the author manages to bring into perspective different aspects of Mallory’s life in terms of how they logically connect with the main episode. Her relations with her family, the peculiar kind of upbringing and her childhood influences are brought in bits and pieces and in a way that interrupts the main story about the game, where her heroism became most