Solitude and Leadership

“Solitude and Leadership” employs numerous anecdotes (short revealing stories) that recount real-world events to support Deresiewicz’s arguments. For example, General David Petraeus’s service in Iraq provides a powerful example of independent thinking and moral courage using a public figure familiar and relevant to the audience. However, Deresiewicz also uses personal experiences to reinforce his theories, such as his time on the Yale admissions committee, which fed his impression of Ivy League students as “sheep.” Other anecdotes are shorter and function as evidence to defend the speaker’s claims. These include the descriptions of the writing processes of T. S. Eliot and James Joyce, which are used to prove that the best writing is done slowly. Peppered throughout the speech, Deresiewicz’s anecdotes also add an engaging narrative aspect to his otherwise explanatory speech.

Deresiewicz repeatedly introduces important points and arguments through hypophora: asking a question and then answering it. His speech as a whole is structured this way, opening with the sentence, “What can solitude have to do with leadership?” and then stating that his lecture will explain the connection (Paragraph 1). Other examples have shorter, more immediate answers, such as when he asks if grades are indicators of leadership ability. This question-and-answer structure supports his message in multiple ways. First, questions engage the audience and hook their attention as they consider their response. At times, the speaker anticipates questions his listeners may have, thus connecting with them and establishing relatability. Deresiewicz’s use of questions also supports his argument for independent thinking as it invites the cadets to consider their ideas on a subject before hearing the speaker’s thoughts.

The metaphors used in “Solitude and Leadership” give Deresiewicz’s descriptions and arguments a dramatic effect that strengthens his persuasive rhetoric. For example, he speaks of his Ivy League students as “sheep” and “hoop jumpers,” and the hierarchy of bureaucratic institutions as a “greasy pole.” Such imagery makes an alternative relationship to bureaucracy appealing. Likewise, he refers to the conventional wisdom exchanged through electronic media as a “cloud,” emphasizing its pervasiveness. Similarly, Deresiewicz’s use of personification, equating the Internet to the assistant in Heart of Darkness, provides a powerful illustration, as Marlow’s escape from this chattering, empty figure allows him to make discoveries through “focused work.” The scene provides support for Deresiewicz’s endorsement of separation from electronic media in the pursuit of independent thinking.

The thesis of “Solitude and Leadership” is a paradox: “solitude is one of the most important necessities of true leadership” (Paragraph 2). Deresiewicz concedes that solitude excludes the presence of others while leadership requires it. Opening his speech in such a way creates curiosity, which is an important element in persuasive writing. Other examples of paradox appear later in the text, such as when he introduces friendship as a form of solitude, stating that “one of the best ways of talking to yourself is by talking to another person” (Paragraph 43). Beyond sparking curiosity, Deresiewicz’s use of paradox also supports his arguments for breaking from conventional wisdom and forming new associations and ideas. In the process of defining and advocating independent thinking, he demonstrates it.