- Montreal is a great city, but needs to improve on some key issues. People cutting line to get on a bus, a lack of understanding and appreciation of our language diversity and finally, motorists ignoring the plight of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings, are some of the issues raised in the article (Goldstein, 2006).
- The primary rhetorical mode utilized in this essay is narration. The author uses this mode to present her case in the form of a story. This mode helps her develop her case progressively, taking the reader through all the aspects of the city she wishes to expose. A look at the first paragraph reveals the mode of narration as the prevalent mode employed. She starts by addressing ‘people’ in general, which reveals this piece as an open audience piece, rather than a specialized paper. She goes on to describe Montreal, the subject of her essay in conversational language, describing it as Audrey Hepburn of the cities. This approach reveals that the author wishes to pass opinions and views on the subject, in a way, of narration. Further evidence of this mode in the first paragraph can be found in the last sentence of the paragraph, where the author states, ‘I am not breaking up with Montreal, but I feel that the first step to improving our relationship is admitting that we have a Problem (Goldstein, 2006).' That statement feels like a conversation between old friends, discussing the topic of mutual interests between them.
The second paragraph takes over in a similar fashion as the first one. The author invites her audience to the story, to relate to her circumstances to understand her plight. ‘Picture this:’ she starts. She goes on to describe the weather and the circumstances at the bus stop that makes that individual cutting the line for the bus all the more loathsome. The rhetorical mode is appropriate for this essay in that it helps the author deliver her case to the audience, in a way, that they can relate. The presentation of her case as a story, or a narration helps her to create a context in which the events she complains of happen. Thus, her grievances have a background in this type of a rhetorical mode.
- The essay employs other rhetorical modes besides narration in making its point. Two of these rhetorical modes found in the essay are the exemplification and compare/ contrast rhetorical modes. Exemplification is where the author gives an example in illustration of the point they intend to make in the paper. This mode is found in the first paragraph of item #3 of the essay where the author quotes figures from a report published by Radio Canada in illustration of the responsibility motorists hold over deaths of pedestrians in terms of percentages. The provision of these figure comparisons plays as a good background upon which she then builds her argument by presenting her personal experiences on the roads at pedestrian crossings. The other rhetorical mode employed in the same part of the essay is compare and contrast. This rhetorical mode helps in portraying the subjects to a discussion in different lights according to the message the author wants to pass. In this essay, the author narrates of two experiences she had at two different pedestrian crossings. In one instance, she reveals why she still has some affection for Montreal, since the traffic gave way, as soon as she started making her way across the crossing. In the other, however, she was not as lucky, as was she not only nearly knocked over, but also abused (Goldstein, 2006). The second scenario being one of the issues she raises with the city, on its need to improve.
- The essay documents the concerns of a resident of Montreal city, the subtle negatives that hamper the chances of the city from becoming her true beloved.
b) Community education and public sensitization on some of the ills that affect society may prove pivotal in reducing and finally, eradicating some of the ills that plague the city of Montreal. While the misdemeanors are slight and largely laughable, they pose ranging threats to the safety and livability of the city. While some are slight misdemeanors that only cause irritation, others are life threatening and require the utmost attention. Many of the things that make relationships between individuals, both as individuals and within society are an innate concern for each other; taking responsibility for the comfort and safety of the next person irrespective of circumstances. It would be difficult to sensitize people on some issues, such as pragmatism in language use. The use of language is a highly personalized issue; however, the association with language gives one a sense of belonging, thus understanding of the diversity that Montreal presents should be a personal endeavor, to embrace all the linguistic diversity that the city presents.
c) Sensitization of road users that are motorists and pedestrians is a good way to resolve the current crisis between the road users.
d) Transport is an essential fabric of any functioning society. While Montreal is a good city to reside, the friction between the various users of the transport network is regrettable.
With the statistics showing that motorists are to blame, for a large part, jaywalkers also are to blame for a significant percentage of the accidents that occur to them (Goldstein, 2006). The sooner that all the stakeholders agree to a problem on their attitudes, the sooner can a solution be found. Each party should understand the other’s right to use the resources bestowed upon the city.
References
Goldstein, D. (2006, November 14). I Love Montreal But We Need to Talk. Retrieved June 6, 2014, from http://maisonneuve.org/article/2006/11/14/i-love-montreal-we-need-talk/
