Imagining Argentina Analyze how the author presents himself with reference to tone, word choice, and rhetorical structure.
             In the novel Imagining Argentina, by Lawrence Thornton, Thornton writes in a style that is all his own. His tone and word choice convey a sense of desperation. The book leads one man through some of the darkest days in many people's lives. Thornton finds a way to draw his readers into his work, bring us into the 1970's, a time when struggling and oppressed people needed help. Thornton realizes how unknown the problems were in that area during that time and so through a dark tale he lets others know about the dark past of Argentina.
             Throughout the novel a tone of darkness is very strong. Death is very prevalent, torture is everywhere. Families are torn apart, by the Mexican government. Usually these torn families end up with members of them dead. Thornton makes a point of bringing up something ugly every once in a while. This keeps up the depressing tone. "Everyone here today has lost a son or daughter, a wife or husband,"(p85) Thornton shows that there are very few people in the novel who have been untouched by death. Tears are shed, lives are ruined, families are destroyed by the corrupt government of Mexico. The main character can see some of those who were captured this gift allows him to help many of their families. Regardless of his amazing gift, he cannot discover the location of is wife. The irony of the situation only makes it that much more frustrating. He only has one desire to find his wife, but even with his remarkable ability he is totally powerless as most everyone else is to fight the government which enslaves so many people.
             Word choice is key in any novel when trying to get a point across. In Imagining Argentina, Thornton uses simple yet strong words to show exactly the atmosphere. These were simple people being exp...