Blog 4: Hazlitt Analysis 10/23/16

Hazlitt's piece about money is seemingly simple, taking up only three sentences, yet complex in detail. He lists all the reasons why money is the at the core of every problem he can think of. This type of syntax is interesting, because it almost makes the reader think he did not prepare much for his argument. Hazlitt has one sentence, taking up about two paragraphs, listing numerous reasons why a lack of money and an abundance of money lead to problems. These problems are connected with commas and semicolons, yet there is not much glue holding them together. There is no underlying scenario or story that ties in all of these reasons. The idea of a distraught, young boy who really wants ice cream and is ready to tell you every reason why he deserves it, came into my mind as I read this piece. Hazlitt wants to paint the picture, and he doesn't leave much assumptions for the reader as he goes. His rapid fire of reasoning has a funny effect. Yes, he does provide many situations, but no, he does not use examples to back them up or provide any credibility as to whether they would actually happen. Though Hazlitt's claim is not directly stated, his character is. He is someone who does not like the idea of money. He uses second-person, "you," to place the reader in the midst of the situations. It is not just theoretical; it can happen to anyone, he says. I noticed that although the piece is wordy, no extra words are there. Following Zinsser's advice, he uses words as words and not clutter. Every situation is different, there are no repetitive examples, and it seems as though he is passionate yet having a good time telling us about his argument. Hazlitt knows what he wants to say, and he says it. This is a strength of his piece. His interesting and even secret turn-around happens around the second paragraph, when he uses the word "or." This comes as a small surprise. The first sentence, it seems, establishes that Hazlitt believes money provides a good living. Then, out of nowhere, he comes back around and starts bombing down the idea that more money is more problems. It reminded me of the video about alcohol we saw in class, with both the positives and negatives listed in one advertisement. By showing the big picture, Hazlitt builds his ethos through objectivity and truth. He does not sugarcoat anything. He tells it as it is, and does so effectively.