1. “Surely the Board knows what democracy is.”
a. Here White uses a sarcastic tone to almost question the knowledge and the power to the alluded War Board. The use of the word surely forms the sarcasm in the question. He assumes that the War Board should now what democracy is in that they are the ones asking the question, but he provides the implication that they do not understand the aspects of democracy under the circumstances of World War II and the governments use of power.
2. “It is the line that forms on the right. It is the don’t in don’t shove. It is the hole in the stuffed shirt through which the sawdust slowly trickles; it is the dent in the high hat.”
a. Here the use of anaphora generates a rhythmic flow of ideas that almost are somewhat patriotic. It is lyrical and through this he asserts his ideas of democracy. By giving different examples about the effects of democracy and alluding to different aspects of life White generates the idea of how democracy surrounds all. The mention of the line on the right shows the freedom that people have to choose, the mention of the words on the sign show how things are able to be implicated to make things better and the mention of the saw dust and the shirt shows how democracy has the power to impact the lives of everyone. It is the freedom to do what one chooses. The allusion of the sawdust to that of a scarecrow and the idea of fighting for ones own living is evident. The slowly tickling of the sawdust can be symbolic of the wounds suffered by the soldiers fighting for democracy overseas, put in a more euphemistic wording. The symbolism of the dent in the high hat is that of a man can be standing tall but can having faults. This is important to the aspect of democracy in that it allows for the formation of individuality and freedom. White uses these examples to show how democracy can lead to the good and the bad.
3. “Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.”
a. This quote is also very sarcastic in that it addresses the accusation that politics are faulty in their manners. The word suspicion has the connotation of that of skepticism and doubt. As if White is skeptical of the way government is run and how democracy is perceived in our nature. The intentional wordiness of the sentence adds to the idea of the confusion that surrounds how the US portrays democracy. This word choice and sentence structure creates a comical atmosphere that can be perceived as sarcastic toward the government. It points out that one does not have to be right, but one still has the ability to vote and voice their opinion, that's the only thing that is required. Being right is nice but not legally necessary.
4. “It is the feeling of privacy in the voting booths, the feeling of communion in the libraries, the feeling of vitality everywhere.”
a. The use of anaphora is again used to insert a sort of patriotic, lyrical zeal to the essay. This provides the reader with a more gracious attitude to the ideas that White is providing. The mention of privacy indicates how democracy allows for ones own ideas to be voiced and the idea of communion in the library shows how individuals can come to gather to learn many different things for the benefit of humanity all under the bounds of democracy. The feeling of vitality every shows how society under a democracy is able to have the power to live and to grow. These examples show the numerous benefits of democracy that allow for freedom of the individual.
5. “Democracy is a letter to the editor.”
a. By using this simile White establishes the idea that democracy is the freedom to say what one wants. By using this example White is providing the reader with more evidence of how the democracy is beneficial. It also subtly hints at how he was awaken to write this exposition on democracy. That the freedom of others to ask upon him to do something is not discerning but rather a freedom that he