Retorhical Argument

Zoe Mojica Ryan Grandik English Comp. II February 27, 2013 Rhetorical Analysis (why violent video games are good for girls) Student Carmen Tieu, in her opinionated article, “Why Violent Video Games are good for Girls” expounds upon the idea that violent video games are good for girls. Tieu explains that violent video games boost confidence in women. She goes further on to say that it makes aware of the different socialization processes of men and women. Tieu begins by telling a short story about her gaming life. She is attempting to give you a peek into her mind about being a girl playing first person shooting games.

She begins to reveal that men and women are socialized differently by using the aggressive chatting being done before the game begins. Tieu speaks to us in this manner to help us experience what it is like to be a girl and to be playing the violent first person shooting games. The way she is saying this makes it seem as though all males playing these games all act in such ways. The way that Tieu tells her story in the first paragraph gives us a more biased or more sympathetic affect to her cause. After Tieu finishes her first person perspective of the shooting games, she begins to say that girls are socialized into more docile activities.

The language of the text that the writer is using is trying to make you more sympathetic towards her goal of this paper. Her word choice is meant not only for you to be sympathetic but to cause vexation. Tieu illustrates how society thinks that women shouldn’t and can’t play video games by saying they “objectify women” and the “violent” nature “repulses” girls. Tieu creates this tone by saying “Girls are socialized into activities that promote togetherness and talk, not high intensity competition involving fantasized shooting and killing. ” Tieu continues to explain that women can play, and be just as good as men in violent video games.

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Carmen Tieu says that playing first person shooting games are empowering because it gives girls a chance to beat the boys at their own game. Her overall tone is meant to excite and make you want to play first person shooting games such as her quick and instinctual reactions using both joysticks. The author creates a very powerful environment when she explains how she gets an adrenaline rush beating testosterone driven men at something they are supposed to “excel” at. The writer creates a passionate diction when she uses the “savor” and “horror” and “completely destroys them”.

The author furthers the goal of her paper by making her victory seem so empowering. Tieu proceeds in this paragraph by elaborating on how women can be made more confident in other aspects of life by playing violent video games. She says that when women play video games they are freed of the stereotype that women are meant to be soft and motherly figures. She claims that she doesn’t reject these because she is a vegan and a tree hugger, but by saying she understands the opposing view makes it easier for the reader to stay on her side as to why video games are good for girls.

She goes into further detail by saying it has psychologically helped her because she is aware that she can beat males at “their own game” claiming that it gives her more confidence in the male dominated academic field of math and science. Tieu says in this paragraph that playing video games has given her a different way of bonding with guys. She uses the example that a man gave her his respect for playing video games but goes on to say that he didn’t really respect women in general but we can’t really tell if he’s that kind of man just by one sentence.

Showing the “lack of respect” he had towards women, she goes on to say since she started playing video games men have a different way of talking to her. Her way of saying “You get joy from perfecting your skills so that your high-angle grenade kills become a thing of beauty. ” makes it seem as though it becomes a boost of confidence much like winning in a physical game. Tieu begins this paragraph by saying violent video games give girls an insight to a disturbing part of the male subculture. She uses words like “homophobic” and “misogynistic” to describe how the men react when they are playing such violent games.

She describes them in a way that makes all men who play video games seem as though they downgrade any player who is below or even above them. She goes on to say that when she beats her male friends they are embarrassed by it which turns them into “testosterone driven macho men. ” Tieu suggest that when men are around a female one on one a softer side of them comes out. She also over uses the word “macho” which creates a dual reality of how men can be a lot shallower when playing first person shooting games. By her using the words to be a real man” she gives the claim that when men are around other men they have to pretend to be far more manly versions of themselves then what they really are. In contrast though, men are able to act like their true selves when they are one on one with women. When she uses those words to create the dual reality between a real man and a fake man she’s creating a tense environment and leaves us with an open question: Which man is the real man? In this opinionated article, “Why Violent Video Games are good for Girls”, Carmen Tieu argues how women should play violent video games.

She uses diction and tone to help promote her argument. Throughout this article, she lets the reader know how much she has learned about the two natures that men display. Her words show how proud she is that she is able to recognize this difference in behavior and that she did not succumb to this, "ugly phenomenon". The overall tone of the paper was persuasive and led you to be sympathetic to her cause. The type of language that the author uses helps to further enhance the argument. Through rhetoric devices Carmen Tieu solidifies that video games can boost confidence in women and that men and women are socialized differently.

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