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Argument Essay Neil Gaiman vs George Saunders

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Submitted By hezekiahtyson
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Argument Essay: Neil Gaiman versus George Saunders What does our future need? In a speech given by famous American author George Saunders called “Advice To Graduates”, he basis the theme of the speech on kindness. That our future will be better if we find kindness now. Another speech given by famous British author Neil Gaiman called “Why our Future Depends On Libraries, Reading, and Daydreaming” makes it the older people of society obligation to guide the young and innocent for a better future. Both speeches wants to guild children to a better future and to make the world a better place, and with Saunders enthusiasm, comedy, and delivery his speech is better. Saunders opens his speech with humor to capture the youth’s attention. He starts with a story of his childhood, telling of no regrets but one failed act of kindness. “ Moments of another human being suffering”(2). Here, Saunders is helping us to understand a changing point in his life where he understood that something was wrong with the way people think. Therefore, using himself as the examples demonstrates that he has been there before. Places where he had failed to act kind. The basis of his Saunders speech is to get listeners to make “being kinder a goal”. I choice this speech because the delivery of the speech was simply put so that all people could understand and comprehend.”You could do worse than: try to be kinder”(2). In simple words this line reveals what the whole speech will be about. This has significance because it is person that taught Saunders a life lesson that he is sharing. The enthusiasm of once sentence is capturing. In Gaiman’s speech he talks to a mature audience about the future about what reading can do for the kids who are the future. Adults need to push kids onto the reading ladder, there a no bad book, anything is readable. Gaiman empathizes his point in many ways to get the listener to understand. “The inventors of the future all read science fiction when they where young”(3). Gaiman is suggesting here that books, and not just science fiction novels open the mind. That reading lets the imagination run, but as the adults and caretakers of the children we must let them read. The obligations we have to our kids is what Gaiman continue with towards the end of his speech. Anything with literature, we have an obligation to support so that our kids can use all resources to better themselves. This will make future innovators and leaders. “ Our grandchildren are less literate, they will be less able to change the world in which they find themselves”(5). This idea pushes the work of the world on the adults to guide the children, but don’t compare to Saunders because he has the children doing the work. Gaiman involves the adults more then children and thus shows only one group of people, who are not the focus are task with changing the world. In conclusion, George Saunders speech was delivered to college graduates. Although they are not young enough to be considered children, the speech had a tone to it that would capture the minds and ears of younger reader. It is simple enough to understand and backed by humor. Neil Gaiman on the other hand back his speech by facts. Although it was about children, it was delivered to adult in the hope that they would change what they are doing for the betterment of the children. To give a speech about the future, it shouldn't be given to the past. And that's why i picked George Saunders.

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