For 11/2: post on one passage from each of the two readings - the short fictions handed out by Ben and the Communist Manifesto (just "Bourgeois and Proletarians"). Earlier we talked about how style can reflect an author's attitude towards truth. How does Marx & Engels' manifesto seek to influence its reader? Surely no text is as aggressive as a revolutionary manifesto. And Marx's major works, largely built out of Adam Smith's ideas, have commanded a lasting group of adherents. This remains true in spite of less-than-perfect attempts to put Marxian ideas into practice in 20-some states over the course of the 20th century. How do the authors use rhetorical techniques so successfully to influence generations of readers?
For 11/4: Read and analyze an essay by Montaigne ("On Some Lines by Virgil"). Just as Wallace or Lydia Davis are contemporary rule-breakers, Montaigne was, perhaps, the ultimate rule-breaker. At the same time, he shows his mastery of the traditional rhetorical (argumentative) style. He was a great lover of the Romans, and his style is the epitome of classically"elegant" writing.. In your post, be sure to analyze a couple examples of the classic Montaigne sentence; how does he design his structures for effect? Does the writing style work with or against the content? Also, comment on the unusual structure of this long essay - or does it even have a structure? (Print out the version of the essay on blackboard with page numbers to make class discussion easier.)
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