English Language: Question 4 response

Examine the techniques used to raise issues about poverty in Source E and one other source.

Many techniques are used in Source E and Source C to raise the issues surrounding poverty. These techniques are used to not only inform but to persuade the reader into agreeing with the author/photographer. 

For example in Source E the writer creates the sense of collectiveness by saying 'I think everyone knows that poverty is wrong'. This makes the reader feel as though if they do not agree with this point then they are strange or immoral. This is a useful technique as it forces the reader to take an opinion with out thinking deeply about the topic, it can also empower the reader to take action on the topic or read around it, and in this example will help to raise awareness of poverty in the global community. 

Another valuable technique is the use of quotation. The author of source E very cleverly quotes famous people, such as Nelson Mandela. These people are seen as icons who have improved the lives of others around the world. Quoting influential people such as Mandela to support the opinion of the piece is effective as it shows the reader that there are powerful people with similar opinions. It can also cause the audience to question their own opinion about the topic. This technique is particularly useful as using quotes from prolific people in a speech will hold the audience and make them more likely to pay attention to what is being said and therefore raise awareness for the topic of poverty.

The use of statistics and figures is an effective technique as it provides the audience with evidence for the opinion of the piece and also proves to the audience why they should hold the same opinion. The use of shocking figures, such as in source E when it tells us that 'this year there are 691 billionaires with a total of $2.2 trillion in wealth'. The more shocking the data the more likely the audience are to pay attention to the speaker and therefore learn about the topic. This will cause the awareness of the topic to increase. 

Finally in source C the photographer uses contrast to catch the attention of the audience. He shows how the life of a boy who lives in poverty stricken Kenya differs from the life of a highly privileged child who lives in the USA. This contrast causes the audience to question what they think is fair, and realise that there is no such thing as equality. The contrast in what the children are wearing, where they are and the toys they have show that even, over what we as privileged people would see as trivial things, there is a divide for the two young boys. The expressions on the boys face also differ hugely, the Kenyan boy looks timid and afraid where as the American boy looks confident and excited. This would suggest that the lifestyle they have would affect their character as well as their physical possessions. These contrasting images shock the audience and help to visually demonstrate the issues caused by poverty. If the audience can see the dramatic difference instead of just being told about the difference they are far more likely to notice and pay attention because it is harder to ignore what one can see.