"Oh, The Places You'll Go" - Rhetorical Analysis

Who is the main character in Oh, the Places You’ll Go?

• Dr. Seuss

• You are!

• An unnamed narrator

• There are no characters in the story

What is the conflict in Oh, the Places You’ll Go?

• The main character is stuck waiting for a better break or another chance

• The main character is not smart enough to avoid getting into trouble

• The main character must learn how to successfully deal with the ups and downs of life

• The main character wants to go to a Justin Bieber concert

The two purposes of Oh, the Places You’ll Go are to

• Persuade and inform

• Inform and entertain

• Persuade and entertain

• Frustrate and annoy

What is the overall tone of the text?

• Angry and disappointed

• Ironic and silly

• Encouraging and hopeful

• Sarcastic and mean

What is the effect of Seuss’s repetition of the pronoun “you”? (Select all that apply.)

• Emphasizes that each person is responsible for the decisions that he or she makes

• The reader feels scolded, like he or she is in trouble

• The reader feels like Seuss is speaking directly to him or her, giving advice

• Emphasizes that each person should only think of him or her self

Which statement best describes the main claim of Oh, the Places You’ll Go?

• Every individual has the ability to make good decisions and to overcome difficulties so long as that person keeps working hard.

• Everyone experiences hard times.

• Sometimes in life we have to wait for better opportunities to come along.

• This is not a persuasive text; there is no main claim.

Which of the following lines best supports the story’s main claim?

• Stanza 2: You're on your own. And you know what you know.

  And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

• Stanza 3: You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

  About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

  With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

  you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

• Stanza 17: Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

  for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

• Stanza 18: headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

  The Waiting Place…

Identify the text structure in stanzas 10-12.

“Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.”

“Except when you don't

Because, sometimes, you won't.”

“I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

• Problem Solution

• Compare & Contrast

• Cause & Effect

• Sequence