Compare how Ron Suskind presents the difficulties of Cedric’s education in part 1 and part 2

In this essay we will be explaining how Ron Suskind presents various difficulties of Cedric’s education in part one and part two of his articles. Cedric goes through many difficulties when in Ballou High and MIT such as receiving abuse from other students, struggling with the work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and violence. Throughout the articles, Suskind uses various language devices that suggest that it was difficult for Cedric to get an education. The different ways are based on how Cedric gets bullied in Ballou High for being smart whereas in MIT he is inferior to other students due to his social status.

One language device that is used in article one by Ron Suskind is a metaphor. We can see this when the writer says ‘The arduous odyssey of Cedric.’ This suggests that Cedric’s road to success will be a long, hard journey. We can infer this as the word ‘arduous’ means difficult, tiring or tough. Furthermore the word ‘odyssey’ is taken from a Greek myth where a man goes on a hard journey. Similarly, Cedric faces his difficulties alone as he has to do work for himself as there is no one to help him.

Another language device that is used in part 2 of the article to suggest Cedric’s education difficult is a metaphor. We see can see this when he says, ‘I tell him those people on the sideline are already out of the race’. The word ‘race’ suggests that Cedric’s education is competitive, therefore for him to catch up intellectually to people at MIT he has to work hard. Here, Suskind uses the metaphor of a race because the key to a race is endurance which suggests Cedric needs to keep up his hard work in order to match the other students at MIT. Unlike the first quote which implies that Cedric faces his education alone, the second quote describes Cedric’s education as a race where he competes against other people at MIT. In this sense, these two quotes are different because one shows Cedric as an individual whereas the other quote shows Cedric competing as part of a group. 

Another quote that is used in the article 1 to suggest Cedric’s education is difficult  is “Failure is persuasive here, even seductive”. The language device that is being shown here is personification. Here, Ron Suskind implies that in Ballou High failure is all around you, therefore it is easier to be lured into not doing well then actually succeeding. The word ‘seductive’ suggest that failure in the school is something the students are attracted and tempted to rather then being successful. The word ‘persuasive’ suggests that the students truly do not want to fail but due to their surroundings such as poor backgrounds and areas in which they come from, makes them believe they have to fail by default as it is always the easier option. 

Another quote in part 2 that is used to suggest Cedric’s education is difficult is ‘But where I start from Is so far behind where some other kids are , I have to run twice the distance to catch up’. The language device that is used in this quote is a metaphor. This quote shows us how Cedric has to catch up with other students who come from affluent families and backgrounds. It also suggests that Cedric has to work twice as hard to catch up to the level of the other student even though at Ballou High he was at an advantage. This is also difficult as being a minority means that he is not supported at MIT and rather brought down for not being as smart as others. This current quote compares to that last as this quote suggests Cedric makes an effort to catch up with other students and increase the importance of their learning, whereas the other suggests that students at Ballou High are attracted to failing.

Another quote in part 2 that suggest Cedric’s education is difficult is ‘Being a minority and a high achiever means you have to carry extra baggage about who you are, and where you belong. That puts them at risk.’ The language device that the author uses here is metaphor. Here Ron Suskind implies that in order to be respected whilst being a minority due to your background at the MIT , you need to be better or on the same levels at those students with the a critical advantage in their education. It also suggest that  being a minority because you are a black person trying to enter a white mans university such as MIT proves to be very difficult. The term ‘extra baggage’ suggest that Cedrics has a lower social status as his background consists of poverty and as if on a plane in order to travel you have to pay an excess cost to have extra baggage. This refers to Cedric education at MIT as he has to pay and extra price on his journey to becoming successful. The ‘running twice the distance to catch up’ quote compares to this one as the first one talks about how Cedric has aspirations to be successful and makes effort, whereas this quote talks about how he has to pay an extra price to be successful making the whole journey a harder process.

An additional quote in the article that suggests Cedric’s education is difficult is “Mr Washington vents his frustration at how the deck is stacked against underprivileged students like Cedric.” This quote suggest that the odds are hugely stacked against Cedric as he comes from a background full of poverty, lack of privileges and being black in a so called white mans school. The word underprivileged suggest that Cedric being black is a disadvantage and trying to be successful is a struggle. The word ‘deck’ suggest that just like a game of cards the odds are stacked against him making everything harder. Just like the previous quote Cedric faces an automatic disadvantage with the odds stacked against him, similarly to the last where Cedric automatically struggles to be successful as he starts from behind.

In conclusion, there are many ways in which Ron Suskind presents Cedric’s education as difficult in at Ballou High and MIT. The quote that has the most effect for this point ‘the arduous Odyssey of Cedric’ the reason why I think is because it talks about how Cedric has a hard journey in education in order to successful. He faces struggles such as bullying , discrimination and lack of support he also constantly faces people bringing him down and stopping him from excelling. These points are all ways Ron Suskind portrays Cedric’s education to be difficult.