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EmilyKing
Ms.Dahle
English1010
14September2015
SuccessisBorn
InChapterOneofOutliers:TheStoryofSuccess,theauthor,MalcolmGladwellopens
thechapterwithvividimageryofahockeygamebetweentheMedicineHatTigersandthe
VancouverGiants,twoofthebesthockeyteamsinCanada.Gladwellexplainsthat,inmost
cases,elitehockeyplayersbeginplayingbeforetheyenterprimaryschool,and,bytheirteenage
years,thebesthockeyplayershavebeencarefullyselectedandplacedoneliteleague[s](16),
calledMajorJuniorAteams.Afterhepresentsthisbackgroundinformationtothereader,
GladwellquestionswhatmakesahockeyplayerqualifiedtoplayintheMajorJuniorAleague.
Then,thewritershiftsthefocustointroducemoregeneralideashesayshewilldevelop
throughouttheentirebook,suchasthetopicsofgeniuses,businesstycoons,rockstars,and
softwareprogrammers(17).Hepromisestoexplainhowandwhypeoplebecomesuccessful
andarguesthatsocietydoesnotunderstandthewaysuccessemerges.Theauthorbeginstobuild
ontheideathatsuccessarisesoutofhumblebeginningsbyalludingtostoriesfromtheBibleand
otherfamousworksofliterature,butthenherefutesthese[are]kindsofpersonalexplanations
ofsuccess[that]dontwork(18).Gladwellpresentsanewclaimthatsuccessfulpeoplehave
hiddenadvantagesthatmaynotbeobvioustothosearoundthem.ThenGladwellreturnstothe
subjectofhockeyandpresentsthereaderwithatableofdatatoanalyze.Hechallengesthe
readertoexaminepatternsintheMedicineHatTigersrosterof2007anddiscoversimilarities


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betweentheplayers.Gladwelldrawsreadersattentiontonoticethatmosthockeyplayerson
therosterhaveJanuarybirthdaysorbirthdaysinthemonthscloselyfollowingJanuary.He
illustratesthisconceptbydepictingadetailedstoryofahockeygamebetweentwoeliteteams
andreplacestheplayersnameswiththeirbirthdates.Gladwellexplainsthereasonnearlyall
successfulhockeyplayersarebornclosetothemonthofJanuaryisthecutoffdateforhockey
leaguesisJanuaryfirst.Thismeansthatteammembersbornclosertothecutoffdatehavean
advantagebecausetheyarephysicallyandmentallymoredevelopedthanthosebornlaterinthe
year,whichcausescoachestoviewtheluckyhockeyplayersasmoretalented.Theauthor
asserts,whenpeoplecategorizechildrenintogroupsbaseduponsocalledtalentatsuchayoung
age,societyissettingthemuptofail.Hewritesthatwhatbeginsasasmalladvantagewillbuild
upasachildgrowsandcontinuestobeplacedinmoreadvancedgroupswheretheywillbe
givengreateropportunitiestobecomeproficientinthesport.Gladwelltiesinthenameofthe
chapterwhenhealludestotheBibleforasecondtime,wherehedefinesatheorycalledThe
MatthewEffect(30)asthephenomenonwhereonewhoisgivensomeadvantagewillhavean
increaseinadvantage,butthosewhowerenotgivenaheadstartwillcontinuetobe
unsuccessful.Gladwellurgesthereadertorecognizethatsocietyhastheabilitytolevelthe
playingfield,sopeoplewhowerenotinitiallygivenasmuchofanadvantagehaveachanceto
succeed.TheauthorconcludeswithapersonalanecdotethattookplaceattheMemorialCup,
wherehehadaconversationwithoneoftheelitehockeyplayersfathersabouttheplayers
advantages.Thestoryreaffirmstheclaimproventhroughoutthechapter:birthdatecanbea
majoradvantagebecausethesuccessfulhockeyplayerinquestionwasbornonJanuarythird.


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Gladwellspurposeasawriteristointroducetheideathatpeopledontrisefrom
nothing(19),butthosewhoaresuccessfulbecomethatwaybybenefittingfromhidden
advantagesandextraordinaryopportunities(19),whichallowthemtolearnandworkhardand
makesenseoftheworldinwaysotherscannot(19).Healsofocusesontheclaimthatsuccess
isdeterminedbysmalladvantagesthateventuallygrowintolargeradvantagesandgreat
opportunities.Gladwellexecutesthisideathroughmanyformsofrhetoric,includingimagery,
allusion,andlogos,inordertopersuadethereaderthatcertainfactorsthattypicallygounnoticed
affectsuccessandfailure.
Usingspecificsensoryimagery,Gladwellallowsthereadertostepinsidethebookand
feelasiftheyarepartofthestory,ratherthanmakingthereaderfeelasiftheyarereadinga
researchpaper.AsheopenswithastoryoftheMemorialCupgame,Gladwelldescribesthe
mostminutedetailsforinstance,hetellsthereader,memorialcupbannerswerehungfromthe
lamppostsandalong,redcarpetwasrolledoutontheice(15).Gladwellusesthisimageryto
helpthereaderimagineasimilarsituationwheretheyhaveattendedasportscompetition.
Typically,whenpeoplethinkofamajorleaguegame,theyassumeitisfairlyplayedbasedon
factorsofstrength,endurance,andskill.However,thereaderprobablydoesnotrecognizethat
thesuccessofthehockeyplayersisalmostsolelybaseduponthedayoftheyeartheywereborn.
Hadhenotusedthismethod,thereadermayhavenotbeenabletorelateaseasilytotheclaim
Gladwellpresents.AnotherplaceGladwellemploysdescriptivelanguageiswhenhegivesa
playbyplayoftwohockeyteams,butcallstheplayersbytheirbirthdatesinplaceoftheir
names.Hewrites,March11startsaroundonesideoftheTigersnet,leavingthepuckforhis
teammateJanuary4,whopassesistoJanuary22,whoflipsitbacktoMarch12(24).This


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detailedstorycontinuesasheillustratestheconceptthatbirthdatesgivesomepeopleanunfair
advantage.Byturningtheideaintoastorythatthereadercanvisualize,Gladwellisappealingto
thesensestoprovehisclaim.Hadhenotportrayedtheconceptinthisway,thereaderwould
haveahardertimefeelingengagedandhavelessofadesiretobeapartofthediscussion.Asa
writer,Gladwellisawarehemustkeephisaudienceinterestedinthebookorelsetheymaystop
readingit.HadGladwellsimplystatedthatthesuccessofahockeyplayerisbasedupontheir
birthdate,thereaderwouldhavebeenlessinterestedbecausehehadnotshowntheideatothem
inasettingtheycanrelatetoahockeygame.
ThesecondwayGladwellfulfillstheideathatsuccessisdeterminedbyunusualfactorsis
throughtheuseofallusion.Gladwelluseshisknowledgeoffamousliteratureinordertogive
himselfcredibilityasawriterandsupporthisclaimwithmorestrength.WhenGladwellpresents
thetheorythatsuccessfulpeopleariseoutofmodestcircumstances,healludestothefamous
nineteenthcenturynovelsofHoratioAlgerwhereacommonthemeisseenofyoungboysborn
intopoverty[rising]torichesthroughacombinationofpluckandinitiative(18).Gladwell
usesthisallusiontogivehimselfmorecredibilityasanauthorbecausehisreferencetoHoratio
Algerhintstothereaderthattheauthorisintelligent.AnimportantaspectofHoratioAlgers
writingthereadermaybeawareofisthatAlgerpresentedmanymisconceptionsaboutsuccess
thatsocietycontinuestoembracetoday.Gladwellusesthisknowledgetolaterdebunktheideas
Algerpresentsinhisliterature.Gladwellwasawarethatheneededtoalludetothe
counterclaimsofAlgerinordertoforhisclaimstoseemmoreeducated.Heusesthisstrategy
againtosupportoneofthemainideasofthefirstchapter,TheMatthewEffect(30).Inorder
toexplainthisconcept,thatthosewhohaveadvantageswillcontinuetogainsuccessesandthose


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whodonot,willnotbesuccessful,hequotestheBible.Theauthorisawarethatmanyofhis
readersarefamiliarwiththeBible,anditwillnotonlyallowhimtoborrowcredibilityfromthe
book,butwillmakeiteasierforhimtoexplainhisideasinawaythatmakessensetothereader
becauseheistakingsomethingtheyarefamiliarwithandcausingthemseeitinanewlight.The
BiblesarchaicdictioncreatesroomforwildinterpretationandGladwellusesthistohis
advantage.InourBiblicallyilliteratesociety,thereadermayhavenotunderstoodorbeenaware
oftheverseinthepast,butGladwellbringsmeaningtoit.ThereaderlikelytrustsGladwells
interpretationbecausetheydonotwanttogotothetroubleofdeeplystudyingtheverse.
Therefore,theywilltrustthattheverseisdescribingastrangepatternofsuccess.
Gladwelluseslogicalevidencelikedatatoconvincethereadersuccesscomesfrom
unexpectedfactorspeoplenormallyviewasinsignificant.Theauthorelectstoshareanimageof
therosterforthe2007MedicineHatTigers.Heutilizesthecharttoallowthereadertoseewhat
singleattributethemajorityofsuccessfulhockeyplayershaveincommon,themonththeywere
born.Afterpresentingthechart,hepointsoutthattherewereanincrediblenumberofJanuary,
February,andMarchbirthdates(20).Byusingdata,theauthorappealstothereaderslogic
becausethereaderconsidersdatarecordedonatableasasolidfact.Hedrawsuponthissame
strategyagainwhenhedisplaystherosterfortheCzechNationalJuniorSoccerteamof2007.
Thepatternisthesamenearlyalloftheplayerswerebornwithinthefirstthreemonthsafterthe
cutoffdate,Januaryfirst.Theauthorpresentsthesecharts,whichstatefacts,inordertosolidify
hisideathatsuccesscanbebasedonafactorasridiculousasabirthdateandappealtoabroader
audiencethatmaynotappealtohisotherrhetoricalmethods.


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Gladwellsuseofimageryallowsthereadertobecomeapartofthescenetakingplacein
thebookandfeelagreaterconnectiontotheideassurroundingit.IfGladwellhadeliminatedthe
useofimagery,itwouldbelessengagingtothecasualreaderbecausethebookwouldseem
morelikealongresearchpaperandmostpeopledontreadacademictextforfun.However,
Gladwellshouldhavetakengreateradvantageofthisstrategybyappealingtomoreofthesenses,
ratherthanprimarilyfocusingonsight.Ifhewroteabouthowtheplacesmelledorhowthe
eventsounded,thereaderwouldhaveaclearerideaofwhattookplace.Thatway,thereader
couldrelatemorestronglytotheeventsGladwelldescribes.Whenthereadercanrelatetowhat
Gladwellissaying,itbridgesthegapbetweenwhattheyalreadyknowandthenewideas
Gladwellisintroducing.Thisissimilartothewayauthorsuseanalogytohelpareader
understandanewideabetterbyusinginformationthereaderismorefamiliarwith.
Gladwellemploysallusiontoproveheiswellversedinliterature,whichmakesthe
readerviewhimasanintelligentwriter.Mentioningfamousliteraryworks,liketheBible,will
addinteresttoOutliersformanypeoplebecausetheBibleisabookthatasignificantamountof
theworldisfamiliarwithandbelievesisareliablesourceofinformation.Byalludingtosources
thereaderconsidersreliable,theauthorisabletogaincredibilityandalloftheothersources
usedwillbemoretrustedbythereader.Asareader,IfeelasthoughGladwellismoreopen
mindedbyreferringtobothreligioussourcesandacademicsources.Tome,thisshowsthat
Gladwellrecognizesthatthereismorethanonewayofthinkingaboutthewaytheworldworks.
Anotherwaytheauthoreffectivelygainscredibility,whileprovinghisclaims,isthrough
therhetoricalstrategylogos.However,thewayGladwellpresentedhisdatacouldhavebeen
greatlyimproved.Itwouldhavebeenmucheasierforreaderswhoareterribleatrecognizing


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patternswithinagroupofnumberstoseethedatathroughagraph.Thiscouldhaveaidedvisual
learnerstograsptheideaspresentedmorefirmly.Thelackofgraphsinthischapterimpliesthat
Gladwellisignorantofhisaudience.Heisdoingapoorjobofrecognizingthatnoteveryone
thinksthesamewayhedoesandcouldbenefitfromadifferenttypeofpresentation.

WorksCited
Gladwell,Malcolm.Outliers:TheStoryofSuccess.NewYork:Little,BrownandCompany,
2008.Print.