Comparative Language Analysis

P Plate drivers have the highest amount of deaths on Australian roads which has become a high and controversial issue within the media, affecting families and friends.   In David Penberthy's opinion piece, "Time to stop mollycoddling prats with P-plates", Penberthy uses a confrontational and a serious tone to argue that P-Platers fail to learn the consequences and mistakes of inappropriate driving which is due to parents mollycoddling their children.   Similarly, The Age's editorial, "A way to brake the hoon drivers" suggests in a disturbed and disappointed tone that too many young lives are being lost due to hoon's controlling our roads and the minimal law in Victoria which doesn't stop the hoon's on our roads.   Similarly, Inkcinct's cartoon, "The current method of crushing hoon cars" suggests in a sarcastic yet confrontational tone that the government isn't doing any action of confiscating Hoon's cars, instead they're killing themselves.


Penberthy emphasizes the role of parents to play a crucial part in this situation as "parents have more power then anyone to keep their kids safe, or safer." Penberthy's attack on parents effect the reader by forcefully asserting the reader to agree that parents are not doing enough to prevent the premature deaths of their own children. Penberthy blames parents for allowing their children out with a "vehicle for showing off." By questioning the parents on allowing their kids out with their cars "entirely decorated with the entire accessory section from super cheap auto", Penberthy forces the reader to question whether or not they are doing the right thing. Penberthy redirects the reader's mind by stating, "Maybe the question shouldn't be do you want a car, but do you need a car." By suggesting that the parents should question their children on whether they need a car or not, positions the reader to believe that if more parents questioned their kids there wouldn't be such a high death toll of teenage kids on our roads.

Panberthy...