Chavez's Article

1. Chavez’s intent with the first six words is to explain that you should think before you talk and act like an adult when you are speaking in public. You would not want to offend someone with a negative word or hurt them by what you say. She explains this in the first six words to get her point across right away and inform the reader what her opinion is.
2. Bellicose means “inclined or eager to fight.” She uses this word to explain that fighting has been used and is used in politics throughout history. By using bellicose, Chavez describes metaphors and how they derived from war fare.
3. Chavez is trying to persuade the reader into believing that word choice is crucial to civilized speaking but it does not take away from what is being said. She tells us that the meaning of the point the speaker is telling should not be changed because they are using different words to sound civil. “The desire not to give offense has even infected the literary world,” says Chavez. She explains that the literary world is being affected by our word choices. She wants the reader to know that word choice should still give the same meaning as the point intended and should not convey a childlike choice of what is being said. The best example that supports her point is “Civility in public discourse is important, but it should not be used as an excuse to stifle legitimate debate or denude our language of color, passion, or good metaphor.” She tells the readers that if they speak civilized in public, they cannot harm or offend anyone. By knowing the right terminology for everyone to feel respected, the speaker will not be seen as criticizing the readers.
4. I agree with Chavez because she makes a very good point of speaking well in public. If someone did not know what to say to avoid insulting another person, they should not say anything at all. Being educated in terminology would help someone learn to speak well in crowds and speak properly. They can speak properly by knowing the language and knowing what is right to say.  Speakers should not just say whatever they want and hope no one cares. They should take into consideration how other’s feelings when they say offensive words. In “Huckleberry Finn,” the words of the time period’s language change and they are not intended to offend anyone. Literature changes over time and the way Americans speak has, also. Chavez uses very good points to tell readers her message and I totally agree with her.