Mister Rogers- Sincerity Through Simplicity

In his account of Mr. Rogers, Tom Junod provides a testament of himself and his character along with Mr. Rogers's. As Mr. Rogers is portrayed as a simplistic and kind-hearted man, Junod creates this parallel through his writing. The style that he employs to describe the character of Mr. Rogers often matches the depictions created. Junod's voice becomes matter-of-factly as if he is simply relaying a message to the reader; his successful use of diction augments the scenes and conversations being depicted in the article. As in his paragraph describing ophthalmology, Junod explains the field simply and clearly, paralleling the style in which Mr. Rogers, himself, would explain such an idea to a child. He elaborates on a knowledge of children and their fears, providing insight to the intelligence and sensitivity that is essential when interacting with children. In his article, Junod presents Mr. Rogers as a strong follower of tradition or routine. The in-depth description of Mr. Rogers's Old Rabbit emphasizes Mr. Rogers respect for value and his tendency to return and be faithful to the things he loves. The children he taught on a daily basis and the values he stood for were very like another Old Rabbit for him- something he couldn't let go of.