This extract is a form of travel writing written by Matt Inman, and is titled “Getting Lost”.The title creates suspense and leaves something to be desired as the reader is drawn in right from the beginning of the extract. The extract has been written in first person perspective, which can be justified by the author’s use of personal pronouns such as “I” and “My”. Using this point of view allows the writer to make his text more personal andstrengthens the bond between the writer and the reader so that the reader can ‘relate’ to the writer’s points, making it easier for the writer to convey his points and persuade the reader to agree with what he is trying to say. The extract has been written in the form of a personal account and can also be interpreted as an autobiography as it is about the writer’s real life experience of travelling to Boseong. This makes it clear that the extract is non-fiction. Although the writer has not used specific words such as “firstly” and “lastly” to divide his paragraphs and structure his text, he has used the subheading “Lesson Learned” to distinguish between his paragraphs. This structuring makes it easier for the reader to stay on track and be more immersed in the writer’s account. The theme of the passage is Travel with sub themes such as adventure and appreciating what life gives you. The writer has written this extract with an expressive purpose as he focuses on expressing his own feelings and emotions about this trip and how much it made him learn and grow as a person. The extract does not have a specific audience as the writer has not specifically pointed it at a particular audience and has addressed all his readers equally. However, it can be more directed towards tourists and people
who like travelling, or someone looking to visit Boseong themselves.
This extract has a positive and optimistic tone as the writer never gives up hope and keeps walking in the rain with an injured leg, hoping to reach his destination. This is justified by “as I walked down those unknown streets with a limo and rain falling on my face, I couldn’t help but smile.” This tone reflects the writer’s optimistic and positive
personality and infers the writer’s extremely positive attitude towards the topic, giving the reader the impression of a confident and well thought out piece of writing and creating sympathy and respect for the writer’s positivity
The writer has used short simple and compound sentences in his account, for instance “I hopped on the bus and tried to relax with a book.” These types of short and simple sentences are straight to the point and allow the writer to make his points extremely clear so that the reader can understand what the writer is trying to say very easily. They
also help to create suspense and persuade the reader to keep reading on to find out what happened next.
The writer has enriched his extract with figures of speech such as alliteration. For instance “”fact… frustrated” and “after about”. These alliterations add emphasis and reinforce the meaning of what the writer is trying to say, allowing the writer to paint a highly emotive picture for the reader. The repetition of consonant sounds also creates a
pattern for the human brain to recognise which helps the reader understand the text more clearly.
To wrap it up, the writer has used a vast variety of linguistic features and powerful intended effects to persuade the reader and completely immerse them in his extract, and this allows him to sustain their interest throughout the passage by creating a highly emotive picture for the reader.
Froebelian Writers 