It's pretty obvious how America and the world feels about North Korea, but how do they feel about us? There's always another perspective and that of North Koreans reflecting from the inside out triggers my curiosity, which is why this headline stood out to me. This article was written no doubt in response to the recent growing tension between America and North Korea concerning the missile situation. The author, Carol Giacomo, although she doesn't state it in the article, is a very experienced journalist that has been to over 100 countries and jumped at the chance to get to go to North Korea. She mentions that she has been writing about the state since 1992, so it's safe to assume that she is very knowledgeable about it and that the information she is presenting to us is legit and in depth. Giacomo's intended audience is most likely Americans with particular interest in the relation ship between their own country and North Korea. There is no indication in the editorial that it was written for people of a specific education level or political preference. This is probably because her purpose for writing the article is to inform all others of the perspective they have yet to hear, as the problem addressed effects all Americans. Being that it is a response to the missile speculation going around, the article addresses how North Koreans view the outside world, particularly America, and their attitudes toward what is going on within their own country. The perspective is a new one altogether and it is rare to get an insider account in a country like North Korea, so the tone throughout the editorial is a combination of didactic and contemplative.
The writing, though neither formal nor informal, uses words of higher vocabulary, but does so sparingly in a way that brings the words more meaning. Perhaps the word containing the most meaning is 'stalemate', which happens to appear in the title of the piece. The word is a representation of the entire scenario, but isn't put out as such until the last paragraph. The lack of intense wording helps create an informative, or didactic, tone apparent to readers of all levels. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the makeup of this editorial is the syntax of it. Giacomo continuously uses commas, colons, and semi-colons to develop lists of information that escalate the complexity of the piece. She also throws in a question of her own toward the beginning: "Does that mean war is inevitable?" This single question creates a contemplative tone that further develops throughout the article. Giacomo creates a connection with the readers, almost as if she's sharing her experience with us. This connection is created through her multiple appeals to the audience. The most notable is when she speaks of her own background experience having written "about North Korea since 1992"; in doing so she appeals to the reader's sense of credibility, makes herself appear more trustworthy. She also appeals to the readers' emotions. First to sympathy when she talks about the feelings of North Koreans toward Americans that she encountered. Although the feelings aren't exactly pleasant, the fact that they can nearly bring a woman to tears due to the complexity of them is curious and sad. The feeling shifts when Giacomo addresses the story of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained and mysteriously fell into a coma after trying to steal a poster. It just adds a sense of danger to the trip to the communist state. Giacomo was successful in informing her audience of the unknown perspective of the North Korean people. Her ability to connect with readers through appeals to credibility, danger, and sympathy made her points more believable a relevant. Perhaps the argument would've been even more successful had additional statistics and reasoning related to the topic been provided.
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AuthorAveri Childress; high school student, culture addict, softball player, artist Archives
February 2018
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