Brandon Kingston

English 1010
Final Draft 1- Rhetorical analysis
Rhetorical analysis of:
Answer by Frederic Brown

The short story titled Answer by Fredric Brown was published in 1954. This is several
years before the internet was invented. In this short story, a man by the name of Dwan Ev
creates a cybernetic machine that links all computers and machines in the universe together
into one with all the knowledge of all the galaxies. Another man by the name of Dwan Reyn,
watches as the last steps of completing the supercomputer takes place. Dwan Reyn is then
given the privilege of asking the computer the first question. Brown (1954) writes, Is there a
God? (line.9). The answer was simple yet unexpected.
The purpose of this text was to warn people about the future of technology. The internet
was invented around the 1980s. During the early years of 1950s, computers were on the
verge of being created and improved upon. There were thousands, if not millions, of people who
worried that computers would take over the world. Many people had their hypothesis on what
would happen to the world when computers became widespread and popular. Back before the
1950s, life was pretty simple in terms of technology. Fredric Brown, the author of the Answer,
may have had a fear of computers artificial intelligence. Although this story acted as a warning
back then, it continues to be famous and can still be looked at today, as a warning sign. Today,
we understand that it is a lot harder to create an artificial intelligent being. But some people still
read this short story as a warning for the future.
Is this short story an effective warning sign for future possible topics? Yes. Is this short
story effective by using rhetorical tools? Sort of. There are several rhetorical tools used in the
text, including; logos, pathos, climax, and hypophora. But it's not only the rhetorical tools that

makes this text so effective, it's also the structure of the story. The rhetorical tools that are used
to create this structured short story, are the keys to why this text is so effective. As we analyze
this text, we will look at how these rhetorical tools work together to make it as effective as it is.
Logos is used in this text when the writer mentions that the supercomputer will contain
all knowledge from all the computers in the galaxy. In this section, the writer is implying that it
would be common sense for something that contains all the knowledge in the galaxy to take
over the human race. Common sense and logic are some meanings of logos. As the reader
thinks about it, they cant help but wonder about the logic of a supercomputer taking over. This
use of logos draws the reader into thought about why this could actually happen in a sense,
making the text all the more effective.
Pathos is used throughout the story and ultimately at the end, in order to get a point
across. The texts purpose is to warn people of building such a horrific machine. In order to get
this point across to the audience, the writer uses sad words throughout the text such as,
ceremoniously soldered the final connection and monster computing and Lights flashed
and quieted. Through these small references, the writer gives the reader a sense of fear and
despair of what is to come. The reader may also become interested in the writer's use of these
words and wonder what they are ultimately foreshadowing at the end of the story. After Dwan

Reyn asked the question Is there a God?, the computer, Brown (1954) writes, answered
without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay. Yes, n
ow there is a God" (line.10-11)
The supercomputer ends up electrocuting the scientist who was responsible for its creation. And
the story ends at that abrupt moment. Through this ending, the writer gives the ultimate warning
of what may come if human beings continue to try and build a supercomputer with this
knowledge. This gives the readers a sense of sadness and despair, emotions caused by
pathos, that may persuade them to take precautions to this warning.

Climax is a rhetorical tool that uses words or phrases arranged by degrees of increasing
significance. This story is extremely short. But there is one section that really intensifies the
situation. Brown (1954) writes,The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster
computing machines of all the populated planets in the universe -- ninety-six billion planets -into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one super calculator, one cybernetics
machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies(line.3-4) Through this quote
the writer uses the rhetorical tool climax to describe the machine. After reading this section, the
reader gains a sense of how mighty and intricate this supercomputer really is. Which draws
them deeper into the story.
Hypophora is one of the strongest rhetorical tools in this story. Hypophora is when a
question is asked and then answered. The fact that the story is called Answer, pushes the
question of what is the question. The question that is asked is , Is there a God? The fact that
this question is being asked to a computer is significant because no other computer has been
able to answer it before. Yes, now there is a God. That was the ultimate answer. This question
that is asked drags the readers into the story until they are satisfied with an answer. And they
know they will get an answer because of the stories title. Thus making hypophora one of the
most effective tools in the story.
In summary, this story is very effective. The rhetorical tools that are used, are used as
ingredients to a recipe. Each tool intensifies the story, making the reader sink deeper into
thought of how the story might end. This story effectively uses the rhetorical tools; logos,
pathos, climax, and hypophora. Without these tools, this short story wouldnt be near as
effective. And because of these tools, the readers are dragged into the story and seek to know
the answer that the story is titled after.

Reference Page

Brown, Fredric. Answer. science fiction. www.roma1.infn.it/~anzel/answer.html. Publication:

1954