Rhetorical Analysis Ken Kesey '
Ken Kesey creates a forthright and rather atrabilious tone in the passage. Without hesitation Bancini’s despondent abandonment of “trying” is exemplified in the repetitive lines “I am tired” as well as the more obvious “I have given up”. The anaphoric repetition of “I” conveys Bancini’s daily inner torment dealing with his mental illness and is contrasted in an antithesis manner with the addition of “You have chances. You have it easy.” This is a direct contrast between neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals. Asyndeton is also applied to contrast short choppy phrases with slightly longer ones. Utilizing the metaphors “I was born a miscarriage” and “I was born dead”, Kesey is able to describe Bancini’s belief that he is useless to experience