Andromeda Strain Essay, Research Paper
Michael Crichton uses three common devices with ease in his novel, Sphere. The devices being: rhetoric, semantics, and style. Crichton uses these devices to incorporate a sense of unity in the writing. It is not difficult to incorporate this unity into a novel when the devices are properly used. When doing so, they flow together to create a more visual experience for the reader. These devices of writing are what create the environment for an understandable, yet interesting storyline.
Rhetoric is the art of using language effectively and persuasively. In doing so, the use of rhetoric fits in with how the writer of the story thinks and speaks. Crichton is an intellectual, yet he does not write in a sense where the reader cannot understand. He chooses to discuss many intellectual concepts, but in the process, Crichton makes them easy to understand by explaining them simply. The wasn t geometric. And it wasn t amorphous or organic, either. It was hard to say what it was. (Crichton, 117) In this excerpt, Crichton makes reference to a pattern. He describes it enough to leave the feeling of not knowing what it is besides just a simple pattern. Therefore, creating the feeling in which the characters feel.
Semantics refer to the study of language forms. In Sphere, the language is not too different. Every character in the novel is in fact an intellectual in one form or another. They speak correct grammar, and communicate well with each other. The social environment, which is formed, makes for smooth transitions of communication. The linguistics Crichton chose to use made the novel more appealing to the average reader.
Style can be defined as the way the author chooses to portray the characters and setting in his story. Crichton picks a parallel in his novel. The plot of Sphere deals with space exploration and alien existence. Yet Crichton does not put the setting in outer space, but in the deep sea. This parallelism is the basis for his entire novel. Throughout the story, the unexpected occurs. Even the main characters are unexpected. The head of an alien research team is a psychiatrist instead of a top-ranking astronaut, thus creating another unexpected parallel. This style Crichton chooses invigorates the novel and makes it livelier.
In essence, Crichton was able to use the three devices of rhetoric, semantics, and style rather effectively. He showed a thorough use of all devices and incorporated them well enough to keep the story flowing. His use of the devices made Sphere a vivid, intense experience that could be enjoyed by readers of all ages.