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Caroline Kastensmidt

Mrs. Tatum

AP Language, 4th Period

13 December 2019

Revised Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Crèvecoeur, a French aristocrat who bought a farm in New York during the American

Revolution, wrote a series of essays titled “Letters from an American Farmer,” where he

delineates his definition of an American and what they should be. In these essays, Crèvecoeur

claims that the Americans are “one of the finest systems of population” (Crèvecoeur 66-67). In

order to substantiate this claim, Crèvecoeur uses several rhetorical devices, such as an appeal to

pathos, a use of figurative language, and personal anecdotes. These rhetorical strategies enhance

Crèvecoeur’s justifications for his claim, while clearly and coherently convincing the audience of

his purpose.

First, Crèvecoeur uses pathos in order to emotionally target his audience’s sentiments and

make them question how they see the American civilization, and what they can do in order to

achieve peak citizen of the United States. He refers to England as a country “that had no bread

for him” (Crèvecoeur 9-10). With this statement, Crèvecoeur claims that England is not properly

provided for its colonies. Crèvecoeur’s appeal targets the colonist’s anger, calling on them to act

upon their situation and fight for fair treatment from their ruler and for England to pay more

attention to their colonies. With a call to action, Crèvecoeur is able to demonstrate how

Americans should change their situations in order to strive and become what Crèvecoeur deems

as the “finest systems of population” (Crèvecoeur 66-67).

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Along with his use of pathos, Crèvecoeur also uses figurative language, such as

metaphors and personification, to clearly describe his point of view of the Americans. He

compares America to a flower, essentially stating that the power of “transplantation” from

England to Europe caused great success for the people: “like all other plants they have taken root

and flourished” (Crèvecoeur 21-22). He provides evidence for his claim by saying that, like a

flower, movement to a better location allowed the American citizens to thrive. As for

personification, Crèvecoeur says that American laws “protect them as they arrive, stamping on

them the symbol of adoption” (Crèvecoeur 28-29). He defines Americans as accepting of all

kinds of people into their communities and culture. These figurative devices effectively depict

Crèvecoeur’s claim and view of how he sees the American people, along with setting a standard

for all other American citizens as to what they should be and strive for.

Lastly, Crèvecoeur uses anecdotes from others to support his own claim that Americans

are diverse and thriving. He states a story of a man “whose grandfather was an Englishman,

whos wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have

now four wifes of different nations” (Crèvecoeur 50-53). Crèvecoeur states the conditions of this

family and connects it all together by stating that even the original man is an American citizen,

despite his diverse background: “He is an American” (Crèvecoeur 53). This man was adopted

into this culture along with his family, while being accepted by those around him. Crèvecoeur

clearly supports his claim that American’s are one of the finest civilizations by showing that

one’s heritage or background does not change that fact that everyone is an American at heart.

By successfully using each of these rhetorical devices, Crèvecoeur clearly claims that the

American nationality is one of the finest civilizations to exist while also setting standards for

what Crèvecoeur believes every American should aspire to be. Crèvecoeur effectively depicts his
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claim throughout his series of essays by using an appeal to pathos, figurative devices, and

anecdotes. Without these rhetorical devices, Crèvecoeur’s claim would not have been as clearly

received by his targeted audience.