Austin F. Mrs. Richards AP. Lang.

12/13/13 Author Essay The general argument made by authors, also known as Ylvis, Vegard and Brd Ylvisker in their song, The Fox, is that the fox is the master of communication. While humans know what other animals say; such as a dog, cat, seal, elephant, and a fish; we do not know what a fox uses to talk. They argue that no person knows what a fox says, and that they have created some sort of language to communicate with other animals, specifically horses. More specifically, Ylvis argues that foxes could communicate with other animals through the use of Morse code. They write, But if you meet a friendly horse will you communicate by Morse? Its also suggested that the fox could use some sort of verbal offerings to each other. They suggest that a fox could say, Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow, or, Hatee-hatee-hatee-hoo. In this passage, Vegard and Brd also suggest that foxes are angels in disguise, creating the idea that this animal has a perfect, pure language. They say, Your fur is red, so beautiful, like an angel in disguise. In conclusion, Ylvis believes that the fox is a communication master, because we as humans have yet to unravel the mystery of how the fox speaks to others. They have no real idea of what a fox could say, so they must come up with fake, imitation sounds to try to appeal to the listeners ethos. In my view, Ylvis is wrong, because the fox couldnt interact with other animals this way. They would need to find a way to communicate before just to be able to create a way to make a common language before that. More specifically, I believe that the fox uses some sort of nasal vibrations that can change pitch to portray what it needs to. The fox could also move in patterns, like bees, to share information with either another fox or another animal. For example, if the fox feels threatened, it would produce a low growl and raise the hair on its back. Although Vegard and Brd might object that the fox could say Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow, or possibly say Ahee-ahee ha-hee, I maintain that this isnt logically sound. Ylvis fails to quote or allude another. It was stated earlier that nobody knows what the fox says, then they suggest outrageous solutions to how they could communicate. Therefore, I conclude that the fox is completely misrepresented in this simple song. The repetition of onomatopoeias throughout the piece weakens the argument. In my opinion, they needed to mix this technique with allusions and quotes to really strengthen the appeal of their suggested noises.