Name and Date: ___________________________ English 3AP

Quiz Review: Fallacious Reasoning Class Work ____

Directions: Work with your group to thoughtfully answer the questions below.
Then, review the twelve fallacies you need to know for the quiz (see yesterday’s
handout). Discuss real life examples of each fallacy (excluding those you already
spoke about in relation to the short story).
Story Review “Love is a Fallacy”

1. Consider Shulman’s use of imagery and figurative language. Provide

between four and six examples of these techniques and explain how and
why Shulman uses each.

My brain was as powerful as a dynamo, as precise as a chemist's scales, as penetrating as a scalpel. – To

show how smart he thinks he is

I threw open the suitcase and revealed the huge, hairy, gamy object that my father had worn – to show
how ugly he thinks the coat is

He was a torn man. First he looked at the coat with the expression of a waif at a bakery window. – to
show Petey’s inner conflict

Petey lay snoring in his bed, the raccoon coat huddled like a great hair beast at his feet. – to show how
much Petey loves the coat

I watched her closely as she knit her creamy brow in concentration. – to show how hard Polly is thinking
and how beautiful.

2. Now look closely at the dialogue in the story. For each of the three
characters, note his/her use of diction, syntax and tone and comment
specifically on these. Then, explain how these devices contribute to the
characterization of each. Include a few adjectives to describe each
character based on your analysis.
"There now," she said enthusiastically, "is the most marvy idea I've heard in years." "Sounds yummy,"
was Polly's reaction. – Polly shortens words, she uses slang, she uses child-like language. Her tone is
enthusiastic and emotional. She responds with feelings and emotions.
Heartened by the knowledge that Polly was not altogether a cretin, I began a long, patient review of all I
had told her. Over and over and over again I cited instances, pointed out flaws, kept hammering away
without let-up. It was like digging a tunnel. At first everything was work, sweat, and darkness. I had no
idea when I would reach the light, or even IF I would. – the narrator looks down on her, uses words like
Cretin and likens her mind to a tunnel.

3. Note the tonal shifts in the story. Divide the story into chunks (between
three and five is standard) and describe how the sections differ.

4. What is the main rhetorical strategy used in the story? Consider the
meaning of the title. Explain how Shulman uses this strategy to convey the
principal purpose/theme of the story.

5. What is the overall tone of the story? Try to think of at least three possible
words to describe its overall tone.

6. What are the fallacies that are directly identified in the story? For each,
discuss the examples of the fallacy provided in the story and then try to
write another of your own (preferably based on a real life experience or
situation).
In addition to knowing the fallacies addressed in the story …

List of Fallacies on the quiz:

1. Faulty Causality (Post Hoc)

2. False Analogy
3. Ad Hominem Attacks / Poisoning the Well
4. Red Herring
5. Hasty Generalizations
6. Slippery Slope
7. Either-Or (Black – White/False Dichotomy)
8. No Real Scotsman
9. Straw Man
10. Non-Sequitur
11. False Authority
12. Bandwagon Effect / Appeal to Numbers

Study Others for Extra Credit (Their will be an extra

credit question or two)