Text analysis practice – A letter home to Norway
Analysis of A Letter Home to Norway from 22nd April, 1839
In [his] Letter Home to Norway written in Middle Point, Illinois in 1839, the author Sjur J. Haaeim appeals to his fellow countryman Bishop Jacob Neumann trying to prevent him and other Norwegians from emigrating to the United States and to convince them of sending him money for his own return to Norway. This analysis aims at showing how reaching these goals is supported by a specific choice of facts, structure and use of language.
First of all, it is _______________ that the writer never talks directly about money and waits with his _______________ for “a little help” (l.36) until the very last sentence to not _______________the readers.
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Tasks:
- Language work: Try to correctly fill in the blanks in the text with the words below! Only use a dictionary if absolutely necessary!
surprise effect addressees compassion effectively salient hint disappointment arouse plea disillusion alludes put forward emphasizes put off
- Comprehension: Mark all the passages from the text in which the functions and/or effects of the techniques used by Haaeim are explained!
- Analysis: a) Explain the structure used in this analysis!
b) Is there a better alternative to structure the analysis of this letter?