The Clash of Civilizations

As a literary device, tone involves a writer’s stance (often emotional) toward what they are discussing. Conveyed through means such as diction and syntax, tone implicitly aims to influence the reader’s reception of a text. Huntington’s tone throughout the essay is authoritative and analytical but also familiar and accessible. For example, he first disagrees with some intellectuals of the era when establishing his own argument, writing, “Yet they all miss a crucial, indeed a central, aspect of what global politics is likely to be in the coming years” (Paragraph 1). Interjections such as “indeed” contribute to a conversational tone, suggesting that Huntington is developing his argument as he writes and amending it accordingly. Similarly, in Paragraph 4, he calls the Western powers the “movers and shakers of history,” an idiom that distinguishes his writing from more academic nonfiction prose. While he incorporates geopolitical knowledge and insight from his political background, he ensures that his discussion of these topics is approachable.

However, it is important to note that the “average” citizen he is appealing to is assumed to be Western and most likely a US citizen.