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Sandy Lu
Ms. Belmonte
AP Language & Composition
April 12, 2014
Rhetorical Analysis
In her serious yet thoughtful article, Evil: An old-fashioned word becomes a new
rallying cry, Julia Keller uses comparison of books to reality and past to present in order to
define evil as something that used to be a symbolic notion has become instantly, appallingly
literal (Keller 2). According to Keller, evil is something not ordinary; it is real and it doesnt
just occur in fiction.
Keller begins her article by comparing the past to present in order to acknowledge the
difference in the meaning of the word, evil. According to Keller, It was our great-great
grandparents word, not our word (Keller 1). This demonstrates that we havent been
experiencing a great amount of evil in our current world and therefore, it has suddenly become
relevant to us after 9/11. Evil used to be an ordinary word that contained no special meaning to it
until the heartbreaking event of 9/11. In addition, Keller appeals to our grief-stricken emotions
by stating, It is everywhere not just the presence of evil, the aftermath of which is visible in
the ash-pit that is now the World Trade Center or at the Pentagons wounded flank or in the
stricken faces of victims families, but the word itself, to convey that evil is associated with the
attack of 9/11, a tragic event that occurred in our real world in which it still haunts us to this very
day (Keller 1). The words everywhere, aftermath, ash-pit, wounded flank, and stricken
faces, emphasizes the evil and its impact on the American people since it has just recently
occurred. The event was unexpected and has caused so much chaos and deaths. One persons
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death doesnt just affect their family, it affects their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others,
which is why the aftermath of an evil occurrence exists and carries on forever. She goes back and
forth between the past and present in order to demonstrate the evolutional change of the word.
Keller even mentions that Evil is an old word but it is instantly and shockingly relevant
again in order to portray the different meanings of evil in different time periods to convey a
serious tone that brings awareness to the Nation that evil has become a reality (Keller 2).
Keller shifts to comparing books to reality in order to describe evil as a literal occurrence
in our lives. She states, We know it from fairy tales and childrens books, such as the Harry
Potter and Harrys nemesis, the irredeemably evil Lord Voldemort, to provide an example of
evil being used in books in order to compare it to reality (Keller 2). Harry Potter is the
representation of innocent American citizens while Voldemort represents the terrorists
responsible for the attack. Books are powerful. They contain the ability to take a reader to a
whole new world and allowing them to live a different life through a fictional character. Books
also have evil in them. However, the evil in books are escapable. A reader can put a book down
and not have to go through a great amount of emotional and physical pain that would occur in
real life. Evil in books can be easily brushed off our shoulders and seen as no big deal but it is
nothing like that compared to reality. Keller also makes a reference to A Wrinkle in Time by
stating, But when anger turns to hate, IT wins, in order to imply that Americans during this
period are harboring hate for the attackers but despite what has happened, we should love one
another instead of spreading the hate (Keller 3). With the comparison of fiction to reality, it
shows that evil is real and has become a part of our lives, therefore, we should cherish every
single day of our lives.
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Julia Keller uses comparison of past to present and books to reality in order to define evil
as a real life occurrence. The old meaning of evil is something very different to the present day
meaning. Evil isnt just fictional anymore its a reality.




















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Works Cited
Keller, Julia. "`Evil': An Old-fashioned Word Becomes a New Rallying Cry." Chicago Tribune.
N.p., 20 Sept. 2001. Web. 8 Mar. 2014. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-09-
20/features/0109200036_1_word-evil-world-trade-center>.