Interpret Essay Final

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Austin Elliott

Prof. Padgett

ENGL 1102

Date: May 8, 2013

Interpreting Poachers

After reading the short story Poachers, one could question the morals behind it and

the rhetorical effectiveness that it brings to deliver its message. As I read it, I began to wonder

how these events used could contribute to everyday society, then it hit me its not the how the

characters in the story are portrayed, but it is the events that are used to bring rhetoric alive.

In the beginning of the story I noticed that we are shown three boys that are, in

essence, left alone to fend for themselves. Throughout the story we are shown the lack of

sustaining morals that the boys have, of how they participate in illegal activities and do not

possess those morals that normal people share. These three boys tell the story of the life that

they have lived, through their actions along with their personalities. As we look into these

characters we can begin to see the rhetorical approach that the author uses to deliver the

story. The activities of the story are ones that we could not fathom happening in the society

around us. Using this, the author is able to take the reader to a different world, for say, while

these types of situations occur around us on a daily basis. While reading this piece the audience

is supposed to be left in disbelief of how Kent showed no mercy killing the game warder, as

shown by the text Neil stood up with his hands raised, as if to surrender. When the game

warden looked at him, relief softening his eyes, Kent jumped from his crouch into the other

boat, his big fingers closing around the mans neck(Franklin 136), or by electrifying fish. But it


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shows a way of life that they have always lived. One that involves doing tasks that they deem

necessary to maintain their own way of life. Even though this is the only life that they know,

does it make their situation acceptable? The author shows through Kirxys character that he

believes that the boys actions should be acceptable, using the quote from Kirxy as he is talking

to sheriff Goodloe, Shit Sugarbaby. Them boys dont need a lawyer. They just need to stay in

the woods, where they belong. Folks oughta know to let em alone by now (Franklin 142).

I believe that this is the underlying goal that the author wishes to present. If the

audience truly takes the time to evaluate this information then they can begin to realize that in

our society we take things such as this to be acceptable. For instance do we allow a murder to

go to jail for the rest of their life, or to be punished by death if they can prove that they are

mentally unstable? Of course we dont, that is why so many crooked people get away with

crimes they commit. So when you ask yourself again, can we truly hold these boys to the same

standards that we hold other to? Based on previous cases relevant to this the answer would be

no. After reviewing this from this perspective one can begin to see that the events that the boys

partake in may not be so farfetched ideas after all.

Again I believe that the author used the events that form the characters to bring to life,

real-life occurrence around us. Maybe after reading this one would be better able to

understand the circumstances that the boys live in and be able to determine if the standards

that they are held to should be the same as everybody else, and see the effectiveness of the

authors approach. He may just be showing us that we need to review things that we allow to

occur in our own society.


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Work Cited

Franklin, Tom. "Poachers." Poachers. London: Flamingo, 2000.

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Interpret Essay Final