Resource Analysis 1

Savay 1

Aliz Savay

Mr. Zarwell

Global Studies Seminar

16 January 2012

Berlusconi’s Rise to Power

            In the article, “Profile: Silvio Berlusconi, ex-Italian Prime Minister,” the author summarizes Berlusconi’s rise to power in Italy, along with the many scandals surrounding his later life as a politician. The author addresses Berlusconi’s early career and his steps to becoming a media mogul and eventually Italy’s longest-serving postwar prime minister. Despite his incredible amount of power, however, during his last term full of controversies, he managed to ruin Italy’s economy, and has therefore had a lasting effect on Italy and the European Union. The author is very straightforward, and I agree with all of his or her points, presenting the events very factually. The author addresses the topics of Berlusconi’s leadership in a succinct manner, only including what he or she thinks are the most important parts.

            The author writes mostly about Berlusconi’s life, presenting him in a “rags-to-riches” kind of light, starting his career “by selling vacuum cleaners,” and then working his way up throughout his life and eventually becoming prime minister of Italy in 1994. The author writes to the general public, and anyone interested in Berlusconi’s history and impact on Italy. He or she addresses the question of “why did Berlusconi resign,” while also giving a profile of Berlusconi, explaining his early life in media, not just politics.

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The author begins the article getting right to the point, directly speaking to Berlusconi’s resignation in November of 2011 and the scene that was present that day with hundreds of people cheering. The author’s succinct style of writing with short paragraphs with little excessive information keeps the reader involved and interested. Due to the fact that this article is extremely factual, the reader has no reason to question the author. He or she structures the article in a very good way, transitioning from subject to subject very smoothly. The author begins to talk about Silvio Berlusconi’s resignation, then transitions into describing the fortune that he built as one of Italy’s richest men, which easily leads the way into his past and how he was able to build his empire. From there, the author was able to discuss his early career and his start in the television business and then segway into his role in politics with his own political Party, Forza Italia. The author then goes on to discuss his three terms as prime minister of Italy and concludes the article with sections regarding his legal battles and controversies, one of the main reasons behind his lack of support near the end of his career as prime minister.

            The author’s evidence is extremely persuasive, using facts from Berlusconi’s past to illustrate her argument and his history. The author structures the article into four neat parts, the introduction, Forza Italia, Legal Battles, and Berlusconi’s women, making it very easy for the reader to comprehend. He or she uses many dates and interesting facts about Berlusconi, intriguing the reader and keeping the reader interested. However, the author does not incorporate any quotes, which could make the article more enticing. The author could have included quotes by Berlusconi, by

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his colleagues, or other powerful people in Italian government to give the reader a better point of view of Berlusconi. Similarly, the author does not anticipate objections and counter opposing views due to the fact that this article is extremely factual, and I do not believe that he or she uses any faulty reasoning. However, in order to make the argument stronger, the author could have used many quotes and given more detailed information about Berlusconi and his scandals, his past, or his lasting impact on the Italian government because in my opinion, this article was too short and succinct.

            The author does a very good job at being extremely factual in the article, and keeps the reader engaged due to the organized structure and short paragraphs, only including information that is extremely important to Berlusconi’s past. However, the author should have included a more detailed view of Berlusconi, adding more information about his past, including his political career and his business career as a media mogul. The author’s thesis and way of presenting the information was very interesting and convincing, and truly gives the reader a great overview of Berlusconi’s private and public life.

Work Cited

MLA:

"BBC News - Profile: Silvio Berlusconi, ex-Italian prime minister." BBC - Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11981754>.