Blog Two

Tyler Gunnin
8/28/09
Dr. Hughes
English 1101

Everyone is a hypocrite in some way no matter how easy it is to admit it. People go to church, read the Bible, then turn around and do something that goes against God's Word. We go through motions, not only in church, but also with the various people we hang around with, the teachers we present ourselves to, and our parents that gave us this life to begin with. Dalrymple wants to make this point clear in calling Pinker a hypocrite. He states that Pinker writing in Standard English, dedicating the book to his parents whom "gave (him) life", and not believing what he writes makes this hypocritical judgment so clear.
Pinker writes in Standard English, not because he is going anywhere against what he has stated, but because he wants everyone to find this reading fairly simple to follow. Dalrymple questioned how popular the book would have become if Pinker wrote in a New Orleans style. What would be the point of that anyways? What point is Dalrymple trying to make? The style of Standard English was an excellent choice by Dr. Pinker in the fact that the average English speaker will find his reading much easier to consume.
The dedication to his parents is an incredible statement to ponder. What exactly did Pinker mean by saying his parents gave him language, then making the point that he believes language is given by nature? He simply is making the point that without his parents giving birth to him, he would not have even had the chance to pick up language through nature in the first place.
Dalrymple also accuses Pinker of not believing what he writes. There is clearly no doubt that Pinker is not as confrontational on the matter as Dalrymple is. This is just simply the approach he has chosen to take. Writing in this way makes the reader not only take in the message, but also questioning the points throughout. By doing this, the book gives much more meaning to the reader.
Dalrymple may try his best to cut down Pinker’s writing, but the arguments he make can clearly be explained. Pinker writes in Standard English for an easier read. He dedicates the book to his parents, because without them, he would have never had the chance to pick up the biologics of language. He writes in a questionable manner just to draw in the reader more. Pinker does a fantastic job of describing the language we pick up and hear every single day.