Political literature uses the most artistic language in communicating to the public. People refer to politics as an art that makes anything possible. Policy-making involves persuading crowds into an idea, so it needs a language that is compromising, conflicting, convincing, and cooperative to ensure information passes on according to the politicians motive. Political writers commonly use vague language to confuse or deviate peoples minds from real situations when addressing the public. Sometimes the legislative ideas do not make literal sense, may mean the opposite of what a politician is trying to pass across, or can use outdated vocabulary. George Orwell argues that the language politicians use is vague, ambiguous, and unrecognizable. In the article Politics and the English Language, the writer uses various rhetorical devices such as pathos and ethos to persuade readers of the languages vagueness. This essay discusses the rhetoric devices George Orwell uses to convince the audience of the credibility of his arguments regarding the ambiguity of political language.
Essay Summary
George Orwells essay is among his best pieces of literature. In the article, the author identifies and criticizes the way politicians communicate as using bad English. He argues that modern discourse uses meaningless words that are written without a clear format. He begins his essay by focusing on the link between discourse writers language and the current political views. According to him, the quality of a language affects individuals way of thinking because dialects define thoughts. He states that political language is corrupting the way politics is degraded nowadays, which negatively affects society. Orwell gives five examples of political vocabulary that he considers faulty language (Orwell, 3). From the five writings, he concludes that each has stale imagery and lacks precision. He criticizes the radical authors method of writing as being meaningless because most phrases are unclear and do not communicate the intended message (Orwell, 4). He also argues that this kind of political writing is becoming common and needs corrections for better discourses.
Rhetorical Devices
Ethos
Throughout the essay, Orwell uses his language expertise to persuade readers of the credibility of his argument on the vagueness of political language. He gives a passage from his writing to demonstrate the effect of how politicians communicate. In the passage look back through this essay. And for certain you will find that I have again and again committed the very faults I am protesting against (Orwell, 7), The writer also admits to using the faulty language he is fighting against. Although the essay is well written and clear, Orwell considers repeating words such as again and again overusing English. He justifies his argument that faulty political language influences even the best writer such as himself. Using his work as an example of the influence of bad writing, The author proves that he could also be corrupted by political language, urging political writers to use precise language that is less wordy.
Logos
Logos is an authors approach to persuade the readers view through logical reasoning. Orwell persuades readers by giving examples of two sentences containing literal mistakes. He demonstrates that the first sentence contains more words with fewer syllables, does not comprise ancient words, has more vivid imagery, and only one phrase that he considers vague (Orwell, 5). On the other hand, the second sentence has few words and many syllables and does not encompass any imagery or phrase that clearly explains the intended message. According to Orwell, most people write discourses using the second sentence, which is unclear, too wordy, and does not make much sense. In addition to the two sentences, the author gives an example of a bible verse from Ecclesiastes, which he compares to how authors write discourses today (Orwell, 5). Translating the verse from ancient to modern language will result in a meaningless passage if the writer uses political language because ancient language is complicated and requires precision during translation.
Pathos
Pathos creates an emotional appeal to the audience; while using ethos to challenge the readers mind. Orwell uses pathos to show readers the pathetic state of political language, particularly when analyzing the fallacies in the politicians language. The author argues that political writers use metaphorical phrases that audiences cannot understand; hence do not get a clear picture of what they mean. For example, such authors describe a populations movement as millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the road with no more than they can carry (Orwell, 7). According to Orwell, the descriptions are vague and give a different picture from a simple transfer of people; therefore, the way politicians communicate is disturbing and confusing. By showing the emotional atrocities of political vocabularies, such as the emotional deception, the author of this article gains the audiences attention and proves the credibility of his argument that lawmakers language is misleading.
Conclusion
Many literature experts criticize politics and the English language as being too idealistic. The world needs more writers like Orwell, who can influence authors to heed his argument for better discourses and social communication. This writer uses the most straightforward and understandable rhetorical devices in discussing and criticizing the use of such a vague language, which gains the readers attention on the credibility of his arguments. The ethos and logos challenge the reader to reconsider the use of political language in discourses. Generally, Orwells essay is relevant to todays language use in writing as politics influences most aspects of life nowadays.
This report intensively addresses the challenge related to use of social media in businesses. Research studies have documented that there are quite a number of business organizations that are unable to properly manage their social media sites. Due to inefficient and ineffective business management strategies, many users of social networks have become victims of privacy violations.
The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the copyright owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property. Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especially in sites like Nazsa-Klasa, XING, Facebook and Twitter have tremendously violated privacy laws (Basu 49).
Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach. The effects seen in escalating infringements of privacy is a clear show of failure of social media managers (Hader & Brown 270). Proper strategies should be instituted, laws against violations tightened and free flow of information managed.
This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to this lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners. The following criteria will be used to evaluate possible solutions:
Is the solution practical? Is it cost effective? Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?
To research on this problem, secondary data collection method was applied to gather reliable and informative materials. From the findings, the following solutions were proposed:
Control of free flow of information
Enhancing security and laws
Introduction
Aim
The aim of this report is to evaluate possible solutions in business management challenges in social media. The objective intends to determine the management issues that have contributed to lack of privacy in social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and MySpace.
The report intends to provide the social media companies and governments with recommendation in order to minimize the negative aspects of encroachment on privacy.
Background
It may prove difficult to draw clear difference between infringement of personal privacy and fair usage of social media due to the availability and ease with online materials can be accessed at any given time (Hader & Brown 270). One may not know which video files, songs or pictures to upload and use without permission.
As such, many social media sites users have found themselves using, distributing, sharing and accessing private materials online (Palfrey 6). Research studies have attributed this to failure in the role of the manager of social media companies such as Facebook, twitter and YouTube to protect themselves and their users from infringement of privacy.
According to the studies carried out by recent empirical researchers, loss of privacy can be minimized by designing an End User License Agreement (EULA), a term of service that will to some level, control loss of privacy especially on copyright infringement (Basu 52; Hader & Brown 270).
Tackling this management problem will save social media companies from heavy losses due to payment of huge fines for any form of privacy infringed. Additionally, it will save the image of social media sites from severe damage linked to sites where the rate of infringement of privacy is high.
The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner (Palfrey 11). Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especially in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Hader & Brown 273). This has immensely contributed to increase in violation of privacy.
On the same note, distribution of private materials in the internet has become commonplace (Palfrey 14). Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyrighted materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased (Hader & Brown 272). Modern technology has necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks. A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright and privacy.
Scope
This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners.
Plan
This report will highlight the main causes of violation of privacy in social media. Additionally, it will discuss possible solutions from the findings and provide practical recommendations that will aid the management of social media companies in devising solutions to privacy issues.
Research plan and methodology
In order to thoroughly investigate and analyse failure of social media businesses to protect the privacy of their customers and provide solutions, the information used for this research was gathered from primary and secondary data. Information from secondary data came from books, journals, literature materials and magazines.
The researcher used literature sources to examine social media business, their characteristics, main debates and challenges that tend to face them in their operations. Primary data was collected from focus groups which included social media business owners and customers or user of social media sites through the use of questionnaires, individual depth interviews and group interviews.
Secondary data was obtained from two broad methods. These included quantitative and qualitative methods. The former comprised of various databases which contained information privacy infringement especially with regard to social media. Some of the resource materials for quantitative analysis of this research study included published books, peer reviewed journals, newspapers, magazines and credible websites.
In conducting interviews, respondents were picked at random. The questions that were asked included:
How does it make you feel to know that social media sites do not fully offer privacy to their customers?
Where do you think the problem lies?
Will improving privacy affect your business?
As a customer, if the problem persists, what would be your own solution to safeguard your privacy?
Findings and discussions
According to the interviews conducted, results indicated that infringement of privacy in social media sites has become commonplace today. This, they pointed out, is due to free flow and access of information and files. As such, accessing owners files has increased to a point where individuals encroach on the privacy of others.
Besides, another result from the interview indicated that many people enjoyed services given by social media businesses through social sites in the sense that those sites offered users opportunities to connect in almost every area in life. Indeed, these sites have numerous benefits that touch both social and economic sectors.
It gives the user the access to the intrinsic value of the social world (Palfrey 17). This is practical in the sense that if you have a brand or an organization, and a potential researcher sees your profile, can easily access you (Basu 49).
Moreover, other results indicated that the use of or viewing of individuals materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner. The respondents argued that due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. They indicated the problem was lack of strict regulation on access and use of materials.
This may be due to the fact that most governments and social media business management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Palfrey 9). The action of uploading and sharing this material privately or publicly violates copyright. It amounts to theft and piracy, which is infringement of a persons right through prohibited manufacture of copyright work and selling to other people. Valuable products have been produced through Facebook, and distributed across the internet.
Evaluative criteria
In seeking the best solution to the business problem discussed, the following criteria will be used to weigh against possible solutions.
Is the solution practical?
The solution to the business management problem must be practical and achievable by considering capabilities of the business and the personalities of individuals whose privacy has been violate.
Is it cost effective?
In terms of managing the cost of improving their systems to enhance security, a social media business needs to have finances that can effectively cover the cost. A cheaper solution is critical in a situation where a business needs to save money.
Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?
The solution must ensure privacy, change the behaviour of social site users and be above criticism.
Overview of possible solutions
Control free flow of information
Apart from the many benefits of social media, it carries with it negatives aspects that include provision of room for infringement of privacy of users. From the findings, this is due to the free flow of materials across the internet. It is therefore important that social media business companies formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites.
Security
The use of or viewing of individuals materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner. Due to insecurity in form of hacking and accessing private files, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have had their privacy tremendously violated. It is imperative that the management of social sites as well as the governments devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy.
Laws
There is need for laws on privacy and security in the social sites be increased and strictly observed. Besides, the government should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples privacy are apprehended and punished. Inasmuch as internet service business providers are being given security, they should be held responsible for transmitting or storing infringing contents a user decides to upload, keep or share without the knowledge of the knowledge company
Evaluation of solutions against criteria
Is the solution practical?
Controlling free flow of information by social media business can be attained. This is easily attainable since social media businesses are in full control of their systems and as such, they can implement changes and follow them up to ensure their effectiveness. Besides, their systems create capabilities that can regulate flow of information.
Through these capabilities, social media business can improve security measures, thus maintain customer satisfaction, achieved overall strategic goals and increased their service processes (Raab 34). In terms of security, social media business can use their capabilities through information technology, to manage, combine organizational knowledge, integrate technology and coordinate efforts toward enhancing user security (Raab 34). This will ensure that their customers privacy is well protected.
Additionally, more strict laws on violation of privacy should be created by governments and social media businesses top protect social media users.
Is it cost effective?
In terms of managing the cost of improving their systems to enhance security, social media businesses have finances that can effectively cover the cost. Today, social media businesses have their streams of technologies integrated and diverse service production coordinated (Raab 34). Through this, it streamlines its cost and enhances customers perceived value and creates new sites that are competitively unique.
Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?
Regulating free flow of information, enhancing the security of social media site users and creating strict laws against violation of individuals privacy will enhance privacy. Implementing the aforementioned critical changes will indeed be a turning point to positive behaviour by users. Enhancing security systems and controlling free flow of information will deny users access to personal materials and hence reduce incidences of violations.
Recommendations
The conclusion that is derived from evaluating possible solutions indicates that it is necessary to combine the possible solutions to attain privacy of users and reduce violations. Therefore, the following recommendations are necessary to be implemented:
Social media business companies to formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites
Management of social sites as well as governments to devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy.
Governments should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples privacy are apprehended and punished. The government should come up with better ways to handle this form of intellectual property violation. It should avail funds for the government law enforcement departments both at the local and the state levels so that it is possible to investigate privacy infringements.
Conclusions
To sum up, it is imperative to note that the distribution of private materials in the internet has indeed become commonplace and a growing challenge to war against intellectual property violation. Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyright materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased. Modern technology has also necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks.
A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright. Therefore, as the report has analysed, this can be attributed to social media business management challenge which has become slack in offering protection to users as well as in controlling the flow of information in the internet. As a matter of fact, while social media have accelerated business growth especially among organisations with online presence, the challenge posed by the use of this modern age communication tool is proving to be a growing managerial concern.
Works Cited
Basu, Choton. Quest for Universal Identification A Commentary. Journal of Information Privacy & Security 5.3 (2009): 44-54.
Hader, Amy & Brown, Evan. Patient Privacy and Social Media. AANA Journal 78.4 (2010): 270-274.
Palfrey, John. The challenge of developing effective public policy on the use of social media by Youth. Federal Communications Law Journal 63.1 (2010): 5-18.
Raab, David. Marketing Systems for Online Media: If a single common problem threatens the outbound campaign systems, its the need to handle unstructured data. Information Management 20.2 (2010): 34.
The current paper contains a rhetorical analysis of the article Reading too much political news is bad for your well-being . Brooks (2020) address an urgent topic of how political news affects peoples mood. The author concludes that it is vitally important to limit the amount of received information on political issues (Brooks, 2020). The article contains three helpful recommendations on minimizing the devastating impact that news on the event happening in the world has on us. More precisely, one should substitute passive complaining on an event with active involvement in them, avoid arguing about politics with friends and relatives and read articles from sources that promote views that are different from yours.
Outstanding in the article
The first thing that catches a readers eye is how the author introduces the topic. Brooks (2020) uses quotations from Buddhist texts to show that attachment is the root of all human misery. From first sight, it is not clear how this is linked with political news. However, the author explains that people become dependent on opinions; they want to know that some prominent politicians think in the same way. And this desire makes conflict with others to prove that their opinion is the right one and feel upset and angry about opposite views. Another noteworthy feature of the article is that Brooks (2020) clarifies how to minimize the previously described negative consequences.
The authors credibility in the article
Brookss credibility is proven by the fact that he is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and is the author of the podcast The art of happiness with Arthur Brooks. Therefore, it could be inferred that he does know what he is writing about. Still, one could search for Brooks scholarly publications on a similar topic and opinion of other social scientists on Brooks works.
The use of facts and examples in the article
Brooks (2020) uses numerous examples that illustrate that political news has a strong negative impact on peoples mood and their satisfaction with life. These examples include the results of several polls and surveys. One of them is the General Social Survey that was conducted six years ago. The findings reveal that people who were interested in politics are more likely to be generally unhappy.
The problem presented in the article
The articles problem could be described as follows: the more interested in politics people are, the less their satisfaction with life is. However, such people usually do not understand that the cause of their bad mood lies in the obsession with news on politics. People need to understand that it is unreasonable to argue about political views. For example, Brooks (2020) argues that more than 60 percent of American parents want their childs spouse to have the same political views as they do. Undoubtedly, this fact results in immense stress for parents, children, and their mates.
The solutions presented in the article
I strongly agree with every solution proposed by the author. According to Brooks (2020), people should cease complaining and start undertaking some actions to change the situation that they do not like. I believe that if one does nothing to change the situation, he or she is not that dissatisfied with it and, hence, should not complain about it. Secondly, Brooks (2020) recommends reading newspapers and discussing politics less frequently. The final advice is to receive more information on the views that are opposite to personal ones. Even though these solutions are self-evident and straightforward, they will lead to positive outcomes.
The authors voice in the article
I would describe the authors voice as scholarly because he uses numerous references to prove his statements and promotional because he encourages the audience to pay less attention to politics. To communicate an idea, the author uses impressive statistics to show how politics destroys psychological well-being and then lists several solutions on how to escape these devastating outcomes.
An analytical thesis regarding the pattern in the article
In Reading too much political news is bad for your well-being, Brooks (2020) argues that excessive interest in politics undermines the chances of being happy. Individuals whose career is not related to politics should not spend too much attention on news, conflicts, and events in this sphere.
Barbara Hollands Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences is a critically-acclaimed collection of thoughts on mundane and unappreciated subjects. However, the wit and quick thinking turned the narrative into an interesting discussion about the small details of life to which most are indifferent. With the overall relaxing tone, Holland does not care to criticize the decisions of others; rather she criticizes judgment something that limits peoples perception of the world and prevents them from enjoying the simple things in life. Chapter Travel: Getting There is a witty insight into the world of travel as most people know it today. In her rhetoric, Holland reminds modern readers about the minutiae of travel as an inevitable part of human existence and points out everything that is both great and not so great about it. In this paper, the chapter on travel will be explored from the stance of six rhetorical strategies that include detail (physical senses), diction (tone and attitude), imperatives, metaphor, syntax, and repetition of sound. By brilliantly combining these strategies, Holland develops a narrative about the peculiarities of travel and challenges her readers, who are used to new technologies, to share her sentiments on the beauty of traditional train travel.
Detail
The appeal to physical senses aligns with the rhetorical strategy of detail in a literary work. It is used for transforming the written word into the basic senses such as taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Through reading the text that appeals to the physical senses, readers can reflect on their feelings and perceptions of the world. For instance, when reading about the smell of freshly mowed lawn, one cannot help but remember the physical experience associated with smelling the fresh grass in real life. Thus, the device is instrumental in getting readers closer to the subject matter and making them invested in the narrative that the author pursues.
From the first paragraphs of the chapter, the author aims to develop a discussion on travel by using references to the physical senses. In the sentence from a plane, the view often looks like the inside of an old mattress, the device of simile is used to transfer readers to the time when they were sitting on a plane, looking into the window (Holland 88). The fluffy white clouds are usually bright to the eye and awakening, and, indeed, are similar to the cotton and feathers that could be found inside of an old mattress if one uses his or her imagination. Continuing on the topic of airplane travel, the smell and taste of plastic airplane dinner is also something that one does not forget, and Holland realizes this (88). She mentions this kind of food because it is directly associated with being on a plane, thus getting closer to her audience on a conversationally friendly level.
The detail in rhetoric is also traced in the authors mentions of specific sights one may encounter. For example, the giant circles in Wyoming or is it Utah? is a reference to the unique pattern of the land that one can see when flying over the area (Holland 88). Those who have seen the circles will immediately envision them in their mind while those who have not may research them to understand the authors reference. The link to the sense of hearing is found on the third page of the chapter when Holland discusses train travel and the business and loudness of train stations. The author writes, the hoarse cries of Board! still echo down the platform as they always have and tingle in the blood (Holland 90). The sentence enables readers to hear the hustle and bustle of a train station in their mind and thus emerge into the atmosphere.
Diction
When exploring Hollands diction strategy, both tone and attitude come into play. Tone refers to the use of words and the writing style intended for conveying the attitude of an author toward a specific topic. It is one of the components of a writing style; however, it usually changes when different topics are explored. Overall, through reading the chapter, one cannot help but think of the calming and relaxing tone of the authors writing. For example, when speaking about train travel, Holland communicates her fondness for this type of travel by describing images seen through a train window: a beaver dam in a forest in Virginia. The couple in a white convertible, stopped at a grade crossing, laughing. Sunset over Manhattan. Wild swans on a lake (Holland 91). The short sentences describing calming images transfer the positive attitude of the author towards traveling by train, thus influencing readers feelings. It seems that Holland reflects on her personal experiences of travel, which makes the tone and attitude more real and understandable to readers since it is likely that they have had similar experiences.
Imperatives
In rhetoric, imperatives refer to the calls of an author to do or to feel something. The strategy is used as a persuasion technique and, therefore, can be attributed to the intention to get closer to the audience. Holland is quite frank in her observations and appeals to her reader as to their reflections. In the same way in which Wallace asks his audience to consider the lobster, Holland asks her audience to think about multiple things that contribute to the discussion of travel (50). Holland enables readers to compare an overnight coach flight to Heathrow with sailing on Southampton on the Normandy. Compare the plastic airplane dinner or the highway hamburger with lunch on the Orient Express (88). The use of the phrase compare something with something is the authors way of appealing to hear the readers thoughts and thus illustrating the stark difference between traveling in the past and today. She proceeds with imperatives when reminiscing about old-fashion train travel: ask anyone old enough to remember the glitter and jingle of the dining car [&] with a flower in the vase and the world clicking by outside (Holland 90). The authors imperatives contribute to the paradigm shift significantly as they are linked to concrete experiences and allow drawing conclusions about the world.
Metaphor
In addition to imperatives, the use of metaphors in Hollands Getting There is a significant contributor to persuading the audience to agree with her attitudes. In literary writing, the impact of metaphors is vast and includes the creation of vivid imagery for readers, the transfer of emotional content from phenomena that are generally understood to phenomena that are less understood, the revitalization of traditional phrases and words with new meanings, as well as many more (Jaworska 162). Holland is not shy about the use of metaphors and inserts them into the writing to make it brighter and more impressive. She writes, the flicker of travelers faces, remember the glitter and jingle of the dining car [&] and the world clicking by (Holland 90).
These metaphors underline the peaceful and desirable environment of train travel. It is evident that the author is fond of this method of getting there and wants to transfer her warm feelings to her readers. Holland proceeds, even gritty industrial slums quiver with meaning. Every train-traveler has packets of sharply remembered mental snapshots [&] Everything from a train window has the feverish reality we yearn for when we travel (91). These quotes facilitate further the attempts to persuade readers of the beauty of riding trains. The reference to memories as mental snapshots appeals to the audiences experiences and feelings that can add to the persuasion technique. It is clear that the mentioned metaphors are all applied to traveling by train, which solidifies Hollands intentions to ensure that her readers agree with its positive aspects.
Syntax
While syntax refers to the grammatical structure of sentences, it still can be used as a rhetorical strategy for facilitating a paradigm shift. When reading Getting There, it becomes clear that the author places syntactical emphasis on the first part of sentences. For instance, Holland writes, by land, trains are the best way to travel [&]. From a plane, the view [&] (88). The comparison between land and plane travel is evident as the writer intentionally uses the same syntactical structure in sentences located in two separate paragraphs. Similarities in structure continue in sentences except for the idle rich and the busy executive. [&] Except on Air France, the food seems like a form of punishment (Holland 89). The identical grammatical structure in the first parts of the consecutive sentences furthers the emphasis on the authors feelings about the topic.
Syntax also plays an important role in defining Hollands writing style and the overall relaxing tone of the chapter. Short adverbial or noun clauses placed at the beginning of sentences set the mood for what the writer is planning to explore, as seen from the following examples: bulleting down the road, theres nothing to see [&] Some places allow billboards, and these are a glad relief [&] (Holland 90). Furthermore, Holland utilizes short sentences that bear a stronger meaning than long ones could have had. Such sentences as A beaver dam in a forest in Virginia [&] Sunset over Manhattan. Wild swans on a lake [&]. It seemed, urgently, supernaturally real. It still does both serve as descriptions of the authors positive attitudes while also highlighting a syntactical structure (Holland 91).
Repetition of Sound
Repetition of sound, which is also referred to as literary consonance and assonance, depending on the type, refers to a stylistic literary device used for directing readers attention at specific words and sounds. In Hollands rhetorical strategy, repetition of sound is among the authors style components and thus adds to the intention of making arguments that will inevitably influence readers perspectives. The authors repetitions can be rather attributed to the device of epiphora (epistrophe), which is defined as the successive use of the same words in clauses. At the very beginning of the chapter, such repetitions are evident and serve as a reminder of the authors style and ultimate intentions. In the phrase less interesting and much less fun, the wordless is a simple but unique combination of sounds, the repetition of which pushes the very message of the argument: while in the past travel took more time, it brought the sense of adventure that modern solutions fail to offer (Holland 88). It is remarkable that Holland is not afraid of sound repetition in her rhetoric, which makes the writing similar to conversations people have every day: we always vow to pack a lunch next time and the next time we forget. When we land, were still many miles from our destination [&] (Holland 89).
A slightly different type of sound repetition can be traced not through repeated words but through their components. In the sentence they dawdled along reading signs for church socials and criticizing the washing hung on a line, the repetition of ng is a visual means of attracting readers attention to the subject matter of the writing (Holland 89). Ending several words with ng may seem unintentional; however, further examples point to the opposite. In the sentence, bulleting down the road, theres nothing to see [&], the same sound repetition is present, which solidifies the presence of the stylistic device in the text (Holland 89).
Conclusion
In summary, in Travel: Getting There, Barbara Holland appeals to the old traditions of travel and reminds her readers how great train journeys were. Touching upon the peculiarities of travel both by land and by air, the author brilliantly describes the minutiae of travel in a positive and calming tone. The key paradigm shift referred to her intentions to evoke positive feelings and make readers lean toward train travel as the most interesting and traditional method. However, Holland finds beauty in any way of getting there as her prose is filled with various rhetorical strategies that both define her writing style and strengthen the paradigm shift.
Works Cited
Holland, Barbara. Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2000.
Jaworska, Sylvia. Metaphors We Travel By: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Metaphors in Promotional Tourism Discourse. Metaphor and Symbol, vol. 32, no. 2, 2014, pp. 161-177.
Wallace, David Foster. Consider the Lobster. Gourmet. 2004, pp. 50-64.
The article by Siren et al. studies the compounds in red wines that were made from Pinot Noir grapes. Since the contents of this research are connected with chemistry, it would be difficult to say if there are any political, philosophical, or cultural leanings of the authors. The reason for this is that the nature of this field of science is purely factual. Therefore, there would be no biases, only the information about the experiment and its effects. In addition, the authors seem credible since they conducted a thorough literature search regarding the analysis of different separation techniques (Siren et al. 26). It allowed them to compare the results, which helped to produce a clear and unbiased outcome of the study. Furthermore, aside from gathering information, the researchers conducted their own laboratory experiments.
The authors probably created this article in order to uncover the mechanisms behind the taste and the smell of wine. They depend on many different factors, including bacteria, organic acids, carbohydrates, and many other chemicals. That is why examining the organic compounds is vital for creating a wine of the best quality. There are no vague discussions or attempts to persuade the reader or to impose a certain point of view, only formulas, tables, and figures. The evidence presented in this research is sound and logical because the authors provide information about different wines from various sources; moreover, they confirm it with complex graphics. The topic, however, is not intended for a big audience as it is too specific, and not many people would be interested in compounds of wine. Despite that fact, this article would be important to read for chemists and those who are engaged in the area of wine-making.
Work Cited
Sirén, Heli, et al. Evaluation of organic and inorganic compounds levels of red wines processed from Pinot Noir grapes. Analytical Chemistry Research, vol. 3, 2015, pp. 26-36.
At first approximation, the option to choose an English major does not seem to lure many potential students. A considerable number of issues arise starting from career opportunities and ending with the knowledge that this major can bring. In their articles, Carolyn Gregoire and Sophie Reeves aspire to prove that English majors are capable of gaining success in this life, as well as of developing important skills. Both writings may be considered notable pieces of reading; moreover, they contain many features that can be analyzed through a rhetorical prism. Gregoire and Reeves apply slightly different strategies to persuade their target audience. Nevertheless, these strategies have a number of points in common. In this paper, a comparative analysis of the mentioned articles within the rhetorical scope will be provided.
It seems reasonable to claim that both authors have the same audience to which they aim to convey their ideas and visions. Majoring in English is a relevant theme mostly for young people graduating from schools and choosing their further specializations maybe, also for their parents. Expressions such as English majors are changing the world (Gregoire) or If youve watched Stranger Things (Reeves) are likely to attract the attention of a younger audience. At this age, usually, a persons primary aim is to make this world better; then, such TV series are mostly for young people. Hence, Gregoire and Reeves seem to create common places for the target audience successfully. The articles are written in a genre of personal commentary to deliver the message explicitly. The authors purpose is to prove that an English major is an appropriate variant to choose in the context of prevailing uncertainty about such a choice.
Gregoire and Reeves organize their articles by dividing the theme into several sub-topics and highlighting bullet points. Such an approach allows a reader to follow the sequence of thoughts easily and coherently. It should be noted that both authors are acquainted with rhetorical basics; for instance, in the introductions, they use rhetorical devices. Gregoire applies a hypophora, Need another good reason to study English? Your brain could significantly benefit from it ; Reeves uses a simile, Choosing an English major feels like jumping into a black hole. Such tricks contribute to making the writings diversified and interesting to read.
Nevertheless, in the framework of the strategies chosen, there is a substantial difference between these two articles. Gregoire decides to convey her idea through the lens of a career English majors have great chances to be involved in prestigious spheres such as politics or media. She also gives solid pieces of evidence by providing numerous references, Recent neuroscience research, published in the journal Brain Connectivity ; Cuomo famously told The New Republic in 1985 ; Mark Edmundson writes& (Gregoire). Meanwhile, Reeves emphasizes the skills and personal development that majoring in English may bring. She uses references to various sources too, but also gives her opinion and examples from her real life, In my personal experience& (Reeves). It might be rational to state that despite the different emphasis, both writings sound persuasive due to the appropriate use of the related methods logos, ethos, and pathos.
The articles tend to demonstrate a solid appeal to reason by conducting deductive reasoning. Both authors start a new section with a general statement and then provide some specific cases or examples. For instance, Gregoire claims that English majors write great American novels and then mentions the success of Aravind Adiga and Joan Didion, who graduated from a university with a degree in English. Reeves states that the English major allows be highly organized for deadlines under pressure and then gives an example from her personal experience.
As mentioned above, both authors successfully find and apply common places, using appropriate sources that support their evidence, and logically deliver their arguments. All of the mentioned aspects are essential elements of ethos that are a crucial part of any piece of writing. Thus, the articles establish the good credibility of their writers. Finally, Gregoire and Reeves use a strong emotional appeal by referencing real-life examples and experiences that may be easily faced by the reader. Due to the latter, after reading the articles, the audience might feel emphatic about majoring in English. Both Gregoire and Reeves creatively combine and use the mentioned methods of persuasion, which makes their articles evidence-based, logical, and easy to follow.
In conclusion, it seems reasonable to state that the analyzed articles have several common rhetorical aspects. First, both authors chose a similar organizational strategy they divide the arguments into sub-topics to make a train of thought coherent and consistent. Second, the target audience might be the same young people graduating from schools and their parents. Third, the articles demonstrate approximately the same extent of rhetorical significance, applying various related devices and persuasive methods creatively and notably. The crucial difference refers to the way the authors convey their ideas. Gregoire appeals mostly to career opportunities, and Reeves to personal development and skills gaining.
The word stereotype means a person or thing that conforms to an unjustifiably fixed or standardized picture (Fiske, 2006, p. 299). A very common example can be taken from the movies. Adam Sandler is a very popular American actor, but due to a large number of comedy movies in his career he is primarily stereotyped as a comedian. As a result, he is force to opt characters that are comical in nature such as 50 First Dates, Bed Time Stories, or Anger Management.
We have some stereotyped perceptions on many professions, but in a number these perceptions are proved to be wrong in many cases. In each moment of our lives we receive so much information from all our surroundings, as well as the popular media sources like television, radio, and television. These ideas commonly form our belief and overall ideology as the old saying goes that information rarely informs, but only to influence, induce and invoke .
These things form our ideas that are the fallout of social subjectivism. As a result, it could be ascertained that the aspects of stereotype are fundamentally myths within the parameters of public perceptions. In reality, there is hardly any truth in such beliefs about the stereotypes. THESIS STATEMENT NEED TO GO HERE *Main Idea/Thesis:
I also wanted to take a look at your thesis statement:
These ideas commonly form our belief and overall ideology as the old saying that information rarely informs, but only to influence, induce and invoke. These things form us our ideas that are the fallout of social subjectivism.
I like the fact that you mention social subjectivism here, but I am not sure how this concept relates to the topics of stereotyping and rhetoric. How are you linking those 2 terms together as you write this paper? How does social subjectivism serve as a way for you (or the reader) to better understand stereotypes and rhetoric? These are the kinds of questions that you need to answer as you write your thesis statement. Please revise the thesis statement to meet what the paper will be telling the readers. You need to mention Politicians, tattoos, feminism and senior citizens in the thesis statement as well.
Politician
Give the reader some transition into why youre talking about politicians and relate it to stereotypes. Maybe change sentence two for one and reword. While discussing about stereotypes, the first group that comes to the mind are the politicians. This is a profession that has evokes skepticism down the history. Thus, there is almost a traditional stereotype about politicians. Generally, a politician is always looked in a bad light in any popular fiction book or in the movies. It is not wrong in many cases as in our world there are many politicians who are involved in many wrong doing from such as contract killing, taking bribes, using public money to ones own profit, and helping criminals. Abuse of power can be really economically satisfying; it is really applicable to a politician.
But, not all the politicians are like this? No, sometimes there are really good and positive works done by politicians. One of the very important issues of our world, the Global Warming, has been dealt with positively by some leaders of politics. From the problems of low-cost housing for the poor, to regular works for the jobless people, and most importantly, the aftermath of any terrorist attack, which is also one of the very important problems now-a-days, has been and continues to be handled very efficiently by politicians (Crandall, 2005, p. 869).
Actually, at the end of the day, politics is nothing but the following of principals. Politics is having faith in a system and following it. It is understandable that there may be conflicts in ideas, and one may not like the idea of a politician and he or she is free to criticize the politician. But, we have to keep a clear mind, and if that very politician does something good, we need to appreciate that. The stereotyped bad individual should not apply to all politicians, simply because the person is a politician and some politicians have done wrong (Carnaghi, 2007, p. 919-920). However, the public perception of a politician is mostly, virtually always, negative apart from some exceptions of celebrity politicians like Winston Churchill or John F Kennedy.
Tattoo
Use a clear transition sentence here. Like: Stereotyping people with tattoo is common also. Please add a clear transition statement. Just like politicians, stereotyping people with tattoo is common also. A tattoo is a type of body-painting which is in most cases is permanent; it is a type of body art and body modification. A tattoo has a lot of negative effects throughout the world. Sometimes criminals use tattoos to show off their gangs and many other things.
Sometimes many offices ban persons from employment in their organizations because of visible tattoos. Actually, the primary attitude towards a tattooed person is that he or she is rebellious, hard to control, seeking attention and other things. In a general context, though the popularity of tattoos is on the rise in the western society, they are still associated with criminality. They also carry a heavy social stigma among some criminal groups.
But, is a tattooed person is always a criminal? We can start looking at the question from a very renowned novel, Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. In the novel, there is a character called Queequeg, who befriends the narrator of the story (Melville 2001, p. 56). He had his whole body tattooed, and was a cannibal. Initially the narrator was afraid of him, but later became best of friends with him and ultimately Queequeg was responsible for saving the life of Ishmael, the narrators life. Here the tattoos of Queequeg first gave the wrong impression about him to the narrator, which later on the course of the novel changed and the tattoos did not mean anything (Melville 2001, p. 56).
A lot of modern celebrities have tattoos. And they are not involved with any criminal work. We can take the examples of Angelina Jolie, who is an Academy Award winning actress and also the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
She has numerous tattoos which have been caused several media speculations. Similarly, David Beckham, the English soccer star and one of the most recognized athletes throughout the world, has almost seventeen tattoos. He is one of the role models in modern sporting culture. The fixed belief about tattooed persons obviously does not apply to these names. With or without tattoos they are popular icons, role models in their own rights (Fiske, 2006, p. 304). Thus, it can be stated that to general mass, the perception of a tattooed individual is not always negative. In fact, with so many celebrities and icons taking tattoo, it is fast becoming a popular trend and thus can be evaluated with a positive perception.
Feminism
Again, I need a clear transition statement here. In the context of stereotyping, the same is true about feminists. The term feminism means the advocacy for the equality of both the sexes and an advocate for this cause is called a feminist. Basically, in the popular culture a feminist is always looked at as a rigid person, mostly a very strong-willed woman, who always speaks strong language, very serious in nature, and most difficult to handle. They are also believed to be control-freaks.
But, the real case is not the same. Some of the worlds most respected minds have been feminists. Alan Alda, Kurt Cobain, Hillary Clinton, Sylvia Plath, John Lennon, Benazir Bhutto, John Stuart Mill were all claimed themselves feminists. It is really wonderful to read that Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism was also a feminist. These names also are very popular and some are institutions themselves. Actually, feminism is mainly devoted towards the equality of man, in many cases the sufferings of woman, which is overlooked generally, are really dealt with patience in the branches of feminism, and this is a really wonderful thing (Fiske, 2006, p. 306-308). Thus, with the rise of the need of human rights added with the concept of feminism, it can be stated that it is a positive perception lately among the general society in the United States.
Senior citizen
Transition statement here too. Stereotyping is present in the aspect of senior citizens too. A senior citizen is a person who is over his retirement age. So it is evident that a senior citizen is on the verge of his or her golden years. Generally, senior citizens are stereotyped to have short tempered, inflexible, slow drivers, early dinner eaters and so on and so forth. Most importantly, the generation gap becomes a huge problem for any senior citizen.
Adjustment to the advancements of the world of technology or the loss of physical ability becomes a really problematic issue in seniors. All these things are reflected in popular culture. But, here one can remember an often quoted line from the very popular movie series Indiana Jones where the lead character, played by Harrison Ford, who himself is an example of defeating this senior citizen tag and said that mileage does count and not age (Carnaghi, 2007, p. 914).
There are a lot of examples of persons who have been really effective despite of his or her old age. Harry Bernstein is an author who published his first book, The Invisible Wall in the age of 96. Mae Laborde is an actress who began acting in her 90s, to be very precise in the age of 93. Arthur Winston retired from his job working for the Los Angeles Metro after 72 years in the age of 100. There are a lot of examples of persons who are still working in their old age.
Therefore, the stereotypical ideas do not really apply to them. O Toole, an acclaimed actor who has received most number of Academy award nominations than any other actor, was nominated for the Best Actor award in the year 2006 at the age of 74 (Carnaghi, 2007, p. 921). With more emphasis on welfare economics and elderly care awareness, this perception, today, cannot be judged as positive or negative. So, it can be stated that the general perception about senior citizen is mostly neutral.
Conclusion
The fundamental learning process indicates that stereotyped examples will always remain. However, after a self-evaluation of my personal learning in chapters four through six, the best method of applying stereotypes is to avoid them. Evaluating people based on stereotyping is unfair and a flawed method. Evaluating people based on what they show you about themselves is a sure way to reach an unbiased opinion. That way, subjectivism would not be allowed to enter rhetoric. As stated by Moore and Parker (2006), it is best to think of subjectivism as a half-baked piece of philosophy, rather than as a fallacy (Moore and Parker 2006, p. 157).
Maybe, there are some truths about these stereotyped examples, maybe sometimes they create problems but, everyone cannot be subjected to the same bracket. It is clearly understood that the public imagination and the approach of stereotype is based on social myths based of traditional perceptions. Sure, there is some truth in these myths and perceptions but they are far from constructive generalization.
References
Carnaghi, A. (2007) Subtyping and social consensus: the role of the audience in the maintenance of stereotypic beliefs. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37(5), 902-922.
Crandall, C.S. (2005) Creating stereotypes and capturing their content. European Journal of Social Psychology, 26(6), 867-898.
Fiske, S.T. (2006) Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination at the seam between the centuries: evolution, culture, mind, and brain. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30(3), 299-322.
Melville, H. (2001). Moby Dick. Auckland: IPCL Press.
Moore, B. N., and Parker, R. (2006). Critical Thinking (Custom 8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
We cant stop mass murder is a persuasive piece on the topic of gun control published in The Week on October 6, 2017, which remains relevant today. The author, Shikha Dalmia, writes for many well-known journals and is a senior analyst with the Reason Foundation. She has degrees in chemistry, biology, mass communication, and journalism. The general purpose of the article analyzed is to persuade; the specific purpose is to state that a strict ban on guns is impossible, and some propositions on gun control are irrelevant and useless. The target audience includes people who are most concerned with the issue of gun control, and the authors tone is skeptical. Dalmia uses several kinds of evidence:
Statistics: nearly 300 guns in this country (Dalmia, 2017, para. 6);
Hypothetical evidence: reducing the stockpile of guns might make it more difficult for a potential killer to get a firearm (Dalmia, 2017, para. 6);
Analogy: Australias buyback programs as a possible model (Dalmia, 2017, para. 8);
Expert Testimony: as The New Yorkers Adam Gopnik wants (Dalmia, 2017, para. 6);
Anecdote: the kind of intrusive searches would make the Bush administrations surveillance look positively restrained (Dalmia, 2017, para. 10);
Fact: police found 23 firearms in his hotel (Dalmia, 2017, para. 3);
Example: the American Hotel & Lodging Association declared it will re-evaluate its security protocols (Dalmia, 2017, para. 17).
The authors use of ethos is based on her involvement in the topic and familiarity with different perspectives (Dalmia, 2017, para. 3). However, her language is not always unbiased: sarcastic phrases like love affair with guns may seem off-putting to some readers, and reduce the authors credibility (Dalmia, 2017, para. 9). The use of pathos is not abundant in the article: the emotions are mostly affected by the information about previous mass murders (Dalmia, 2017, para. 12). The use of logos is sufficient: reasonable hypotheses and logical conclusions are presented. Sarcasm and skepticism may seem to belong to pathos since Dalmia clearly demonstrates the way she feels about the problem and projects her feelings onto the readers. However, I would argue that this tendency represents ethos more because it allows the author to gain credibility by showing her indifference and expertise. I agree with the authors point that stringent measures would not help to improve the ways people use guns, and unless they rethink the concept of security, the government will not be able to help.
Reference
Dalmia, S. (2017). We cant stop mass murder. The Week. Web.
The rhetorical appeal is the use of literary devices that brings out the quality of the argument, and through it, an audience is persuaded to make a convincing argument about the story. In Serial, Sarahs rhetorical appeal makes the audience question Adnans innocence concerning his girlfriends murder. Hae disappears one January afternoon only to be found dead, and being Adnans girlfriend; he becomes the first suspect. Sarahs choice of literary device is thought-provoking to the audience as they find themselves at the crossroad trying to uncover whether Adnan is innocent.
In Serial, Sarah Koenig uses ethos to tell the story by emphasizing herself as the narrator and letting the audience focus more on the story. The victim, Hae, a Korean-American daughter of a Korean immigrant to the U.S., is killed by her boyfriend Adnan, who claims to remember nothing that January afternoon she died. Adnan is a Pakistani-American son of a Pakistani immigrant to the U.S., while Sarah is an American journalist (Sarah, 2019). In real life, Sarahs position in her role would have raised lots of questions about racism since the article reader would question her intention on the choice of the topic rather than on the story within the article.
Pathos translates to the writers ability to appeal to the reader by persuading their emotional connection to the literature. In Serial, Sarah uses Adnans voice to show the emotional connection between him and Hae and her parents. Sarah lets the audience listen to Adnans voice when he speaks of his innocence on the murder (Sarah, 2019). Sarah successfully plays with the readers emotions when she allows Adnan almost convince the audience he is innocent.
Logos represent the ability of the writer to persuade the audience by use of reason or logic. Sarah achieves this by using evidence, which shows Adnans innocence, and others showing his guilt. The use of evidence leaves the audience at a crossroads as they try to determine whether Adnan is guilty of Haes murder or not (Sarah, 2019). The interesting nature of the story is associated with the absence of clarity in the evidence Sarah presents.
The audiences understanding of the film relies on how Sarah guides them using rhetorical appeal to show Adnans innocence. As Sarah subjects her audience to the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, she leaves the audiences understanding of Haes death in how she controls them. The audiences perception of whether Adnan is guilty or not relies on the evidence presented, and the mixed reactions therein make some believe Adnan is innocent, while others refute his innocence.
Reference
Sarah, K. (2019). Serial. [Audio Podcast]. New York Times Audio.
Online courses are becoming more and more popular in the contemporary world because of rapid technological development. Claire Giordano, a student, wrote a persuasive essay, Virtual Promise: Why Online Courses Will Not Adequately Prepare Us for the Future, where she discusses the pros and cons of taking online courses. She also incorporated credible evidence to support the ideas of why she believes that it is not a good idea. Cleverly combining useful structure, language means, and various rhetoric strategies such as logos, ethos, and pathos, Giordano effectively convinces her audience that online education might be not the most suitable option.
To begin with, one should note that the intended audience of this essay is most likely the group of people who are planning to enroll in school and considering taking an online course. There are a few reasons why those young adults who have just finished their high schools are considered the target audience. Firstly, the topic of the essay that refers to higher education allows people to suppose that this piece of writing is aimed at the given age group. Secondly, the author is a college student and a representative of young adults; that is why the essay that is essential for her should be significant for other people of her age. Finally, Giordano provides an example of her sister, who was a high school student. This example indicates that the essay is suitable for people of that age. Thus, the information above proves that young adults are considered the intended audience of Giordanos work.
The author has made her essay suit the audience above by mentioning arguments that might be more useful for them. On the one hand, the information about landing a job and building a successful career is more beneficial for the graduates. Besides, Giordano says that online courses might be cheaper, make higher education more accessible for various groups, and, therefore, contribute to equality. Since younger groups of society tend to have less money and not everyone can afford to enroll in a decent school, the topic of an alternative way to get a higher education is useful for them. On the other hand, the purpose of the essay is to state that online classes have a few disadvantages, which makes the author appeal to counter-arguments. She talks about how taking classes online do not adequately prepare people for the future as they do not help to develop critical thinking skills, which are crucial in the workforce (Giordano par. 7). Thus, the authors idea is convincing, but it is interesting to see how specifically the author delivers it to the readers.
As has been mentioned, it is a persuasive essay, which influences the authors style, essay structure, and the use of evidence. Here, the authors style is represented by all those linguistic means that were used to make readers believe her argument. Furthermore, Giordano structures her essay to achieve its primary purpose. For example, she presents the arguments of both supporters and opponents of online courses, but the length of paragraphs is determining. It refers to the fact that the author uses longer sections to introduce her counter-arguments. It has an inevitable impact on the use of evidence because these longer paragraphs include more credible arguments against online education. In addition to that, the essay begins directly with introducing the topic, while the concluding paragraph summarizes the content.
Since the essay is aimed at young adults, it should be relatively easy to read and understand. That is why Giordano uses mainly general vocabulary, including such words as importance, weaknesses, and online classes (Giordano par. 8). At the same time, to make her essay more academic, she uses specific terms, such as nurtures and compelling (Giordano par. 4). As for sentence length, the author has written many long sentences that represent complex ideas. This information denotes that the essay is aimed at young adults who, however, should have decent mental abilities to comprehend Giordanos thoughts.
To make her statements clear and logical, the author uses logos. Giordano opens the introductory paragraph with the statistics on how many students took online courses in 2012 (par. 1). She uses these facts to show that taking classes via the Internet is very popular now. To convince the readers that taking an online course is worse than choosing a conventional way of getting an education, the author uses logical reasoning. For example, Giordano mentions that online learning lacks the challenging interactions that develop our ability to reason, to think creatively, and to work collaboratively (par. 8). Furthermore, the presentation of the evidence contributes to a logical structure because the readers understand that appropriate counter-arguments will follow every argument for online courses. For example, paragraph 9 that supposes that online education will develop technological proficiency among students is followed by paragraphs 10 and 11 that deny this idea.
The logical presentation above is possible when the author manages to persuade the readers that her ideas and sources are reliable, credible, and trustworthy, and ethos is helpful to achieve this effect. On the one hand, Giordano mentions that she is an environmental studies major (par. 1). This fact demonstrates that Giordano has some experience in the topic and that her words are reliable. On the other hand, the author provides additional information on the people whose opinions or findings she uses and explains why their thoughts are trustworthy. For example, when she cites Dr. Hershey Friedman, Giordano emphasizes that he is a business professor at Brooklyn College, who is widely published on the use of technology and media in education (par. 2). The readers see that this person has a lot of knowledge and experience in the topic because he has a doctoral degree. Another example is the use of Thomas Friedmans words because this specialist is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist (Giordano par. 4). The fact that he has this award might make him more reliable for the audience.
In addition to that, pathos plays an essential role in the essay. Since this rhetorical strategy refers to using emotions, Giordano includes them in her piece of writing to persuade the readers. For example, she indicates that critical thinking is necessary to address the problems of the whole world, such as poverty, water shortages, toxic environment, and others (Giordano par. 7). By mentioning these adverse phenomena, Giordano evokes readers emotions to make them involved in the topic. As a result, the readers regret the tragic fate of the whole world and better understand the importance of the issue under consideration. Moreover, the writer refers to the situation that occurred to her sister, for whom online courses were a godsend as she was unable to physically attend school for a semester (Giordano par. 4). This personal example is another useful way for the writer to appeal to the emotions, sympathies, and values of the audience. Giordano uses pathos because the emotional language might be very influential and contribute to the goal of persuasion. Thus, the examples above prove that Giordano has used this rhetorical strategy in her essay.
Furthermore, additional analysis is necessary to estimate how much the authors angle of vision or interpretive filter dominates the text. It can seem that the author presents the opinions of other people concerning the given topic, but she still has her own attitude concerning the problem. It is expressed in the introductory paragraph, where Giordano states that online courses are not the best way to educate students and introduces significant reasons for this (par. 1). In other words, Giordano clearly states her opinion and does not change the angle of her vision throughout the text. It is supported by the concluding paragraph, where the author summarizes her ideas by stating that all possible positive consequences of online courses come at too high a price (Giordano par. 12). Based on the information above, one can mention that Giordanos opinion concerning the subject has made her emphasize the negative consequences of using online education. At the same time, her angle of vision did not make her omit the opposing points of view.
To conclude, Giordano did an excellent job by creating a persuasive essay with a strong thesis statement, clear opinion, and detailed arguments supported by credible evidence, own experience, and logical reasoning. The author perfectly combined logos, ethos, and pathos to make her writing more persuasive. She chose the right language style and the most suitable sentence length for her target audience. This essay is very informative and useful for potential students. Furthermore, it might be helpful if they have to make a decision on whether to take online courses or choose a traditional way of studying.
Work Cited
Giordano, Claire. Virtual Promise: Why Online Courses Will Not Adequately Prepare Us for the Future.