The Man Who Made Wallstreet: Final Section

Summary:
This section was all about the Morgan-Drexel partnership; how it was formed, the relationship (professional and personal) between the men, and how it led to rise of "modern finance". Dan Rottenberg continues the practice of using financial investments the two made in order to explain why the duo was so influential in the world of financing. He brought up deals they made with the government, other businesses, and foreign nations throughout the piece.


Rhetorical Analysis:
In the first two sections of this book, while Rottenberg provides plausible explanations for Drexel's actions, he maintains an unbiased and objective tone. This tone allowed the reader to create their own opinion about the integrity and personality of Anthony J. Drexel. However, this section was completely different. This section presented Anthony J. Drexel in a whole new light. Rottenberg characterized him as somewhat of a saint, a man filled with integrity. He does not refrain from offering his own opinions on the great financier. However, the author always proceeded to validate his claims with testimonies from friends of Drexel and other financiers. In this way, the author was able to make these assertions while maintaining and establishing new credibility. As previously mentioned, Rottenberg also incorporates specific examples of the duo's financial dealings into the book. After a concise summary of these dealings, the author explains why these dealings were "able to steer American business through the most extraordinary long-term economic growth of any nation in world history," thus giving more support to the theory that Drexel was indeed the "man who made Wall street." These explanations also helped readers, (such as myself) who aren't as familiar with the practice of banking and financing, to gain a better understanding of the American economy and the cyclical nature of Wall street. Though these rhetorical strategies were essential to convey the author's purpose (that Drexel was perhaps the most influential man in American finance), this support neglects to mention one crucial aspect: why Morgan is credited with the making of Wall street and not Drexel. Rottenberg used his knowledge of Drexel and Morgan's relationship, in order to explain the reasoning behind this and portray Drexel as an incredibly righteous man. Rottenberg claimed that Drexel was a firm believer in the notion that "there is no limit to what one can accomplish if one doesn't mind who gets the credit." He explained that Drexel gave no interviews, kept no diaries, held no public offices, and destroyed most of his personal papers. By nurturing Pierpont Morgan's self-confidence and allowing him to become the public face for the firm, Drexel was able to avoid attention and, instead, tend to his extended family. When Rottenberg compiled all of these rhetorical strategies into his book, he was able to construct a very effective, cohesive and persuasive argument that Drexel was indeed the man who made Wall street.