Example of an analytical paragraph
Irwin does not believe in learning or
knowledge for its own sake; for him it always has a purpose and therefore
learning and knowledge should be manipulated to ensure you obtain what you
want, whether it is a job, an exam or entrance to Oxbridge. Our very first
impression of Irwin as a government advisor is that he is a manipulator of
truth. He encourages the use of paradox as it “mists up the windows” as he
advises the government ministers how to present a problematic piece of
legislation. The mist imagery used suggests purposefully clouding and confusing
an issue. This links to his opinion about history which he suggests “is not a
matter of conviction” but a “performance” and “entertainment” where there is
clear juxtaposition between the idea of the abstract idea of an absolute truth
and a façade of truth. He has a cynical approach to the learning and teaching
of history and we later find out that he has used it in his own life in order
to become a successful television historian. Again, he uses a paradox to
suggest that “the wrong end of the stick is the right on”. The declarative
statement emphasises his belief in his viewpoint.
TASK: Copy the example paragraph into a word document. Annotate the paragraph explaining what each sentence does, highlighting the examples in yellow and the terminology in blue.
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