A Rhetorical Analysis of James Ladsen and Joseph Epstein Free Essay Example, 1000 words

In much the same way that Dylan Thomas wrote a poem concerning â€Å"rage against the dying of the light†, Ladsen’s playboy character appears to take this to heart as a raison d’etre for continuing to behave as a 20 something year old male; even though this time has long since passed in his life (Thomas 1). Although clearly the view of the playboy character is faulty and indicative of many immoral or otherwise unhealthy attitudes that are pervasive within current society, his friend, the family man, questions whether or not he should revere him and whether or not the choices that he has made thus far in life are correct and reasonable (Ladsen 31). In this way, Ladsen provides the reader with their own crisis of faith; leaving them to wonder whether hubris against old age is beneficial or whether it makes a mockery of the human condition and the gradual progression of old age and death. A very different view of the aging process and hubris relating to old age/death is represented within Joseph Epstein’s essay entitled, â€Å"The Perpetual Adolescent†. We will write a custom essay sample on A Rhetorical Analysis of James Ladsen and Joseph Epstein or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Whereas it is true that Epstein makes a valuable point, it is one that is in direct conflict with those which Ladsen presented. Essentially, Epstein believes that the entire process and desire for eternal youth, as represented within fashion, media, and the culture at large, is a travesty and reduces the value and importance of adulthood commensurately; whereas the reader is left to question whether or not it is a beneficial process and one that prior generations might have â€Å"gotten wrong† within Ladsen’s piece. Ultimately, the two distinct views which have been discussed within the analysis thus far are of course indicative of the way in which old age is either revered or the way in which it is avoided at all costs.