Partial response to 2018 exam (section C)

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The opening of a new café on High Street has ignited a polarising debate amongst Benmore Village
residents. In the ‘Man about Town’ column of the local newspaper, citizen Jonty Jenkins reviewed the new Calmer Coffee store. Employing a tone of disdain, Jenkins disparages the new shop, contending that the
‘chain’ is incongruous in his ‘fine neighbourhood’.

Jenkins opens with an evocative description of Benmore Village – a ‘quiet’ suburb situated in a ‘leafy
corridor’. This strives to arouse an image of a picturesque area with a ‘neighbour[ly]’ feel amongst readers,
and thus may make them more receptive to the author’s latter points. This feeling is likely to be solidified
by Jenkins’ mention of ‘Ken’s butcher shop’ - one of the many stores that has been at the ‘heart of [the]
community’ ‘for over 65 years’. Through this, he aims to appeal to residents of Benmore – particularly its
elderly citizens – by attempting to elicit a sense of sentiment and an emotional investment in the future of
the town. Conversely, Jenkins goes on to deprecate Calmer Coffee, highlighting the store's generic décor
that ‘appear to be taken straight from head office’ and its inattentive employees who ‘almost ignore him’.
Such a proclamation is in stark contrast to his former point, and through this, the author emphasises Calmer Coffee’s relative indifference to the residents of Benmore Village. As such, Jenkins alludes to the
franchise’s solely profit-driven objectives as opposed to businesses such as Ken’s and ‘Flo’s patisserie’.
Thus, readers of ‘Man about Town’ may feel compelled to refrain from patronising the café and instead opt
to support the independent stores that ‘grace [the] suburbs’ of Benmore and surrounds.

Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.