DOWN

Every week I set out to write a lively column overflowing with

irony and fine grace. But then the moment to type arrives and some news crosses my mind.
atrocious that ends the fun. Which is undoubtedly a limitation on my part, because
Humor does not have to imply frivolity, but rather it is a vehicle of expression.
sharp and accurate. But you see, I can't overcome the shudder. Maybe I am
getting too old, or too foolish.

On this occasion, the horror that took my breath away was the photo of that child from Sierra Leone.
five years old, with a bandaged doll and adult eyes, to whom the rebels amputated the
hand. Out of simple malice, out of the mere desire to produce terror. I have the feeling
that now in the world more people are killed than ever (the technology of death has
much improved), and perhaps in a more indiscriminate and more brutal way. Before, even
In the supposedly dark Middle Ages, war seemed to be, except for a few exceptions, a
more professional matter. The guys would dress up like sardine cans and go to the fields
to be struck down, and besides, they took their time to burst: they were not butchers.
efficient. Now, in contrast, in this ultramodern world, we are the kings of the
carnage. According to studies, in today's dirty wars many more die.
children and civilian women than soldiers. Torture and genocide are in vogue. Children
Live dismembered in Algeria. Mutilated children in Sierra Leone.

Here is a nice game for Tuesday morning: ask your colleagues about
office where Sierra Leone is. I will answer them: down there. Below the
the threshold of the most basic human rights, below the visibility
informative, of international financial interest, of our willingness to help and of the
life.

Rosa Montero, El País Digital, January 19, 1999

The text we are going to discuss is a journalistic article signed by Rosa Montero and
that appeared in the newspaper El País on January 19, 1999. It is a text about
expository-argumentative character whose purpose is to inform while persuading the
reader of it. To do this, the author employs a series of arguments along with a
language that is easy to understand to reach all audiences.

The text deals with the theme of the violence generated by wars, which always affects the
weaker, in this case focusing on underdeveloped countries. It becomes evident
that progress has perfected violence and death, which feeds on the most afflicted countries
disadvantaged, a situation in which society seems to or prefers to remain in the
ignorance. The text ends with the word life, which reflects the idea of respect for the
same.
Regarding its external structure, it consists of 20 lines divided into three paragraphs.
irregularly and relate to the content in the following way.
In the first paragraph (lines 1-5), the author focuses on the idea that one should not stop
to move us those situations of which we hear news daily for their
atrocity; in the second (l. 6-16), it speaks to us about the horror that war entails and how the
technological advances have helped to give more power to violence; the third (l. 17-20)
it shows the little interest or ignorance that society shows about
what happens in developing countries.

As we can see, after analyzing the content, the author has employed a structure
of a synthesizing-inductive type, since the thesis (society remains ignorant regarding the
events that occur in underdeveloped countries) appears in the last paragraph afterwards
from an argumentative perspective in which it has shown the horror that war entails.

To defend his thesis, the author not only provides his perspective on the topic (l. 8: I have
the feeling that today in the world more people are being killed than ever before) but employs a series
of arguments to persuade the reader. Among the arguments used, the one that stands out is that of
proven facts, for which it provides a series of objective data such as between the lines
13 and 14, according to studies (...) many more children and civilians die than soldiers;
in line 15, mutilated children in Sierra Leone. Another argument used is that of the
personal experience, we find it in line 6, the photo of that child from Sierra Leone
five years, with the bandaged doll and adult eyes, to which the rebels amputated the
hand. We also found the ad hominem argument, the one in which the author
includes herself, in line 5, maybe I'm getting too old or too
fool

As we have observed, objectivity, through real data, and subjectivity,

after the author's personal interpretation that she hopes we will share with
she, intertwine in this text. It aims to achieve a double purpose: that the
the reader should understand the reality in which we currently live and reflect on it.

Regarding the language used, we verify that the following are present:
functions of language: the referential function, in the objective data provided by the author
(many more children and civilians die than soldiers); we also find the
appealing function that aims to involve the reader, which uses the first person
first person plural as in line 13, we are the kings of the butcher shop, or in line 4, but
you see, in this case using the courtesy formula (you + 3rd person plural)...; for
we finally find the expressive function through the inclusion of the author himself in
first person singular as in line 5, maybe I am getting too old;
In line 8, I have the feeling that now (...) more people are killed than ever.

The poetic function, although characteristic of literary texts, can also be found
in the journalistic genres of opinion and mixed. In this case, Rosa Montero uses the
irony, especially in the last paragraph, with the intention of persuading the reader.
We found various rhetorical figures such as parallel structures in the lines.
18y19: below the waterline (...), below the informational visibility
(…); the enumeration and asyndeton in line 20, of informational visibility, of interest
international finance, from our... We find the metaphor in line 11, the
guys were dressed in sardine cans (referring to armor). Additionally, we see the use
of synesthesia in line 4, humor... a sharp and precise vehicle of expression, to make
allusion to how harmful the use of language can be in its humorous variant. With the
epithet used in dirty wars (l. 13) seeks to delve into all that is negative that
they contribute to these situations.

As for the sentence modalities, the declarative modality predominates,

both affirmative and negative (l. 4, I can't get over the repulsion; l. 11, the types
they were dressed like sardine cans). We also found the dubitative modality in line 5,
Maybe I'm getting too old.

Regarding syntax, we are faced with a very elaborate text, with sentences
broad areas where complementarity is abundant. The use of disjunction stands out in the
line 5, Maybe I am getting too old, or too foolish, since,
Evidently, it has a persuasive function and a call to attention for the reader.

The text includes the main cohesion mechanisms: repetitions (l.8, 11,
16, eye, death, slaughterer, they die; lines 18 and 19, below), pronouns (line 2, atrocious news
that ends; line 6, the horror that I; line 18, I am going to ...), possessive determiners and
demonstratives (l. 6, that child from, l. 13, this world; l. 17, his companions...), synonymy
(l. 1 and 3, grace, humor and fun; l. 6 and 8, horror and terror; l. 7 and 15, amputated and
mutilated... ), antonyms (l. 6-7, child-adult; l. 14, civilians-soldiers; l. 10 and 20, death-
life;) opposition connectors: l. 2 and 4, but; l. 4, but that...; of order: l. 10 and 14,
before, now...; of addition: l. 9, and; l. 12, and furthermore; l. 10, even. As a semantic field
destaca el de sustantivos abstractos relacionados con la violencia: repeluzno, horror,
evil, terror. Another is the one of words related to war: amputation,
mutilation, dismembered, torture, genocide, death, slaughterers, war, soldiers...

In the use of vocabulary, the use of colloquialisms as well as set phrases is observed.
that manage to bring the content closer to the reader: l. 1, lively column; l. 11, the types
they were dressing...; l. 12, to strike each other with blows; l. 6: it took my breath away. It is also worth noting
the use of some derivatives like in line 13, ultramodern, with which it is exaggerated
the idea that Rosa Montero intends to convey about the harmfulness of advancements
technological means for the power of violence to increase; the same happens in the
line 13 with a lot. It seems that Rosa is overusing the adverb of quantity.
"more" in the second paragraph, but it is related to their intention to move the
reader increasing the value of what was said with the use of the adverb. Finally
we should stop to reflect on the expression efficient slaughterers (l. 11), as
if it were an office job or any other type where efficiency was
an added value; to kill you have to be efficient, you have to know how
to do it (let's keep in mind that this word means a person who kills and dismembers)
the cattle). Another expression to reflect on is "we are the kings of the butcher shops," this
the world is a slaughterhouse and you have to be a good butcher to be someone.
CRITICAL COMMENT