Rhetorical Analysis Of

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Rhetorical Analysis of The Plastic Pink Flamingos

The essay The Plastic Pink Flamingos: A Natural History is a critique of modern American society and its obsession with material wealth and possessions. Author, Jennifer Price has employed the literary devices of symbolism, extended metaphor, cultural allusions, diction and satirical tone throughout her essay to mock at the very American society and its duality.

Price has used Flamingo as a symbol to describe the desire of the American society to chase after the high social status, be a light of every party and getting attracted to flashy yet material things. For instance, the mention of “landscape architecture, south Florida, middle-class inventions, Las Vegas, fifties styles, sixties rebellions, organic gardening, John Waters movies, economic dominance” (Price, 1) hints towards the pretentious attitude of keeping a high socioeconomic status by the society.

She then uses the extended metaphor of "plastic" to further mock at the reception of Pink Flamingoes in the society as they are obsessed with appearances and perceive objects at a surface level. "The plastic flamingo is a hotter pink than a real flamingo” (Price, 8). In another instance she has once again used the technique of extended metaphor “two-dimensional flamingo” and “three-dimensional flamingo” (Price, 6). This further stresses her point that showy attitude and pretense never goes out of fashion and these class-based discussions keep people actively engaged in their social circles. Moreover, "pink" color with a flamingo also refers to the boldness of the American society.

The use of cultural allusions refers to the once-prominent figures from the American history that became trendsetters and people also jumped on the bandwagon of the following trend “In 1956, right after he signed his first recording contract, Elvis Presley bought a pink Cadillac" (Price, 8). Moreover, "gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" (Price, 9) also signifies the trend of pop culture in America.

Price has used the literary device of diction to refer to Flamingo in multiple ways such as “flamboyant”, “flashing” and “oasis” along with “lawn” and “organic gardening” (Price, 2). She has compared flamingos as a symbol of wealth with a normal flamingo bird.

The tone of the essay is based on satirical humor, irony, and use of exaggeration. In an instance, Price tells the reader about the habitat of a Flamingo and says “there are five species, all of which feed in flocks on algae and invertebrates in saline and alkaline lakes in mostly warm habitats around the world” (Price, 8). This satirical yet ironic tone is mocking the people’s attitude towards flamingos. The author further says that if these class conscious people can get to know about the origin and food of this ordinary bird, they will end up disapproving it. On the other hand, American society associates this bird with "wealth and pizzas" because they believe so much in signs and symbols.

Moreover, she has drawn a parallel between the receptions of flamingos in other cultures with its reception in America. "Early Christians associated it with the red phoenix. In ancient Egypt, it symbolized the sun god Ra. In Mexico and the Caribbean, it remains a major motif in art, dance, and literature" (Price, 8). In other cultures such as Egypt, Mexico, and the Caribbean, it is a symbol of spirituality, art, and literature. In contrast, American society exoticized this bird and got deeply fascinated by its apparent beauty. "No wonder that the subtropical species stood out so loudly when Americans in temperate New England reproduced it, brightened it, and sent it wading across an inland sea of grass” (Price, 8).

This essay is a critique of the obsession of American society with shallow socioeconomic class status and the hollow culture of America. Price has effectively used multiple literary devices to bring the reader's attention towards the moral corruption prevalent in 1950s America.

Works Cited

The Plastic Pink Flamingo A Natural History.Pdf. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/sites/default/files/key_docs/price_pinkflamingo_as_1.pdf. Accessed 7 Nov. 2019.

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