A writing technique that Ron Suskind uses is a metaphor we can see this in the text when its says “the arduous odyssey of Cedric” this suggest that Cedric has a long hard journey to success. We know this because the word “Arduous” means a long hard struggle and the word “odyssey” is taken from a Greek myth where a man goes on a long hard journey to get home and has to face monsters and different trials. This is the same as Cedric’s difficulties at school because it suggest that Cedric has to go on a long hard journey to get an education.
The metaphor “the Arduous Odyssey” Is alike this metaphor “i tell him the people on the sideline are already out of the race” The writer suggests that there are a collective of people on the journey where as in “The Arduous Odyssey” quote it suggests that Cedric is on the journey on his own. When Suskind says ‘the people on the sideline’ he is talking about the people in the school that have given up and already failed, we can see this because the people on the sidelines are Cedrics bullies and the criminals at the school.
This differs to the quote that shows the difficulties of getting an education is Cedrics school is ‘Failure is persuasive, even suductive.’ Here Ron Suskind I implying that in Ballou high failure is expected from the students, when Suskind says failure is persuasive he is saying that students would rather be fail than succeed alike when Suskind says failure is suductive, we understand that he is implying that people want to fail and that they are attracted to the thought of failure and giving up. The people that think of failure as seductive want to fail and it is something that the strive for.
Another quote that Suskind uses is ” I tell him the people on the sideline are already out of the race” this quote is a metaphor use by the writer, the writer suggest that the people on the sideline are the students that have already failed at Ballou High and have no even attempted to start the race where as people like Cedric are going to get an education he deserves at the school and has a chance of getting accepted into MIT.
However this quote is different to “Crime infested ward.” The writer suggests Ballou High is a place filled with criminals and in the text it says that bodies were found in schools as well as people being stabbed. The writer implies that kids that attend the school are more interested in going to prison than getting an education.
This quote shows us that the people on the sideline are just there for distraction and how his teacher is telling him to avoid them and to continue the race to get in to MIT. The other quote suggests that the school Cedric goes to is getting a virus spread around and affecting him and his education, his area is also getting this virus because of the dangers in his area and how he has to lock him self in his house to concentrate. Many students that attend Ballou High have given up and dont try to get back into the race that they started. One of Cedrics Worst tormentors is named Philip and he was of the smatest in his school
Another language device Suskind uses is a metaphor. We can see this in the quote ‘being a minority and a high achiever means you have to carry extra baggage about who you are and where you belong’ Here Suskind implies that the ‘extra baggage’ We understand that ‘extra baggage’ could symbolise that cedric is a minority in his society and has to work twice as hard as everyone else. Suskind uses the term ‘extra baggage’ shows that Cedrics ethnicity is weighing him down.
This quote is similar to “But where I start from so far behind where some other kids are, I have to run twice the distance to catch up.” Here the writer compares Cedrics journey to get an education as a race, he describes it as tiring, intense and that there can only be one winner, also he says its competitive, you only have one chance and you have to train a lot to succeed just like getting an education. in Ballou High he didn’t have an education when he got to MIT he has to try twice as hard in class and study twice as long at home, in Ballou High the teachers don’t teach their students and it is almost certain that failure is expected. In Ballou High success is not a option for some but unlike Cedric who is one of the few at the school with a glimpse of hope in the outside world.
“I know this may sound crazy,” he says, shaking his head. “But I guess I’m sort of comfortable there, at my school. Comfortable in this place that I hate.” Here the writer suggests that after getting rejected from MIT, Cedric goes back to the place that he hates, Ballou High School. This quote is similar but also ironic because Cedric was complaining that he didn’t have good education like everyone else in MIT but after being rejected from MIT he chooses to go back to Ballou High even though he spent all of his time there being bullied and hiding in a classroom doing extra work.
In conclusion Ron Suskind uses a variety of language devices to show how Cedric’s education is difficult, the best quote Suskind uses is ” The Arduous Odyssey of Cedric” The writer uses a metaphor to describe the struggle that Cedric has to face on the journey of getting an education and getting accepted in MIT.
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