The authors have so many decisions to make when writing an essay or novel. They have to decide characters, plot, setting, climax, thesis, and point of view. The authors have a duty is to decide on what to do, and that is called authority. Since this is an informational essay, Calvino did not have to decide on setting or characters. In "Why Read the Classics?", Calvino basically had three things to decide on: plot, thesis, and point of view. Calvino made the plot almost exactly like the title. The plot in the essay was to explain to readers why they should read a classic novel. The plot was easy to figure out because of the title of the essay. Calvino also had the authority to decide on the thesis. The thesis is a lot alike the plot, except it is more specific. The thesis was one should read the classics because the literature always stays relevant to your life and new discoveries about the literature can always be revealed. Calvino, however, had the authority to make the decision of not making the thesis direct to the reader, therefore he made the thesis implicit. A last decision made by Calvino was the point of view. The essay was first person. This was a good decision by Calvino because you can see the author has a good tone, and you can connect to the essay on a more personal level. Therefore, the authority the author has is over many aspects and parts of the essay.
Bibliography! :
Calvino, Italo. "Why Read the Classics." The Uses of Literature. New York: Vintage Books, 1999
What about his authority as an author on his subject? Does he have any sort of expertise, etc.?
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